Sunshine and Cherry Trees
by nae.noodles
Summary: A girl with a heavy burden moves to Konohana to help out her family's financial situation. But the village is packed full of people with their own problems. A young girl with a life-threatening illness, a man running away from an angry past, and a couple in deep emotional pain. Will the new people in her life prove too much distraction, or will they be just what the doctor ordered?
1. Exhaustion

The constant sound of Yuripi's hooves on the steep dirt path was hypnotic. It had been a long day, and I was more than keen to find my new home so I could finally get some rest. I hadn't slept well the past few months, and it was really taking its toll on my stamina. If I had to go on much longer I would… Suddenly I saw a flash of orange, I heard the panicked cry of Yuripi and before I could react, I found myself in the air. Time seemed to stand still for a moment, after weeks of stress I felt strangely at peace as I flew across the sky. And then everything went black.

_I could see him. He was right there, sitting in his wheelchair as I pulled up weeds from the dirty soil._

"_Lily, help me!" he screamed, as he clutched his stomach in agony._

_I frantically ripped up another weed. "Hold on a little longer, Caleb, just a little longer."_

_As the stubborn green plant I was pulling finally gave out, I wiped my sweaty brow and glanced behind me. I gasped. Another weed had already grown in place of the one I had ripped up before – but it was bigger this time! I immediately got to work tearing it out, trying to drown out my brothers cries._

"_Please, Lily! It hurts!" Caleb's voice became louder and more desperate._

_I wiped a tear out of my eye and continued pulling, but the more I pulled, the more weeds grew. As I tore out another, I felt something prickly wrap itself around my leg. I turned and saw an enormous weed tangled around my leg. I twisted around and tried to cut it free, but the damned thing wouldn't let go. All the while, Caleb was screaming blue murder. Another weed wound itself around my waist and up around my arm. I pushed and pulled but I couldn't untangle myself. Soon I was writhing and struggling in the weeds, every inch of my body covered. Tears of frustration and pity for my brother tickled my cheeks, but I couldn't flick them away._

"_It's okay Caleb, I'll finish it, I promise!" I yelled._

_Caleb was no longer speaking. Only screams of pain escaped his lips. And then he was still._

I woke up and saw two people, a man and a woman, in front of me looking like they had just seen a ghost. That's when I realized I was screaming for all I was worth. I sat up, and taking a deep breath, I took a look at my surroundings. It was surprisingly pretty; I was atop a mountain covered in brightly coloured grass and a gorgeous view of a couple of quaint towns. And then I remembered where I was.

"Oh! You two must be Rutger and Ina?" I asked, flushing pink with embarrassment.

Ina was the first to recover from my unexpected screaming. "We are indeed, and you must be the young farmer who has come to live in Konohana. But your name has slipped my mind…"

"Lillian," Rutger interrupted, "Her name is Lillian, Ina. Really, how hard is it to remember a girl's name? Some mayor you are."

"Oh-ho and I suppose you think you make a better one?" Ina smirked.

"I'd say I would."

"If you were half the mayor I am, you'd have a new villager. But no, Lillian chose Konohana, didn't she?"

"Well she'll soon change her mind-"

I chose that moment to cough awkwardly, and both Rutger and Ina looked at me in surprise.

"Oh – um, I completely forgot you were sitting there Lillian, I'm dreadfully sorry," Rutger said, adjusting his hat sheepishly.

Ina held out a hand to help me up. "Come on, enough chit-chat; let's get you to your new home. You must be aching all over!"

"You're welcome in Bluebell if you ever want to visit, Lillian. Have a good evening." Rutger tipped his hat to me and I waved back.

Ina growled at his back as he walked away and then turned to me. "Welcome, Lillian. I am so glad to have you in Konohana, and I know the other villagers are going to like you. Let me show you to your farm."

Ina chatted to me as we walked down the mountain path, but I was too busy thinking to hear most of what she said. Ina had seemed a little threatening at first, but I got the feeling that she was just a little protective of her village. I liked her, even if she was a little stern.

When we reached my new home I could barely believe my eyes. My farm was tiny! There was a little field, a simple barn with room for only about six animals at the most, and a small fenced area to let the livestock out for grazing. I had been brought up on a farm, and this was less than a quarter of the size of the one I had just left. Ina must've read my mind.

"Don't worry too much about the size of your fields, Lillian. There's a carpenter over in Bluebell. I'm sure she'd be happy to cut down some trees to give you more farmland," she said, smiling reassuringly.

I smiled wearily. "I'll have to talk with her when I get around to climbing that mountain again."

Ina chuckled. "Don't be in too much of a hurry to visit that rotten village; we need you here for now." She looked down at my clothes and her smile faded. "Oh goodness, your clothes are all torn up from that fall you had!" She reached into a bag she had with her and pulled a colourful pile of clothes from it. "Here, wear this for now. It's just a basic Konohana-style outfit, nothing fancy. Maybe you can find someone to make you some new clothes later."

I thanked her and looked down at my dirty tattered work clothes.

_Gosh, _I thought, _I must've had some fall._ And then it hit me like a bolt of lightning. _Yuripi!_

"Ina, my horse!" I cried, "Is Yuripi okay?!"

Ina looked at me in confusion. "Horse? I assumed you had walked here, I didn't see any horse around."

Panicking, I pushed past Ina and began making my way quickly back towards the mountain path. But my footsteps began to get heavy and before long I was sinking to the ground. Ina caught up with me and helped me back to my feet.

"You're not going anywhere, missy," she scolded, "What you need is a good long sleep. Don't worry about your horse. Yuripi, is it? I'll go get the village horse trader who lives just outside the village, and WE will look for Yuripi, okay? Right now you need to focus on sleep."

With that, she helped me into my new house. When she had gone, I undressed and crawled into bed. I was awfully worried about Yuripi, but sleep came surprisingly easily that night.


	2. Ponytail

I was awakened from my deep sleep by a loud knock on my door. I shot straight up in my bed and glanced around. Where the heck was I? The knocking continued.

"Lillian? Lillian? It's me, Ina. Do you mind if I come in?"

I leapt out of bed and hurriedly changed into the clothes she had given me the night before. I looked down at myself. The outfit consisted of a bright orange skirt, a white singlet, a blue cardigan with matching leggings, and a pretty red headband. I smiled; it reminded me of the bandanna my mother always wore.

"Lillian, are you in there?" Ina called.

I snapped out of my daydream and ran to answer the door, almost tripping over my sleepy feet in the process. Ina was standing there, and she looked like she hadn't slept a wink.

"Good morning," she said drowsily, but with a surprising amount of dignity still in her tired voice, "I've been up all night searching for Yuripi with Kana, our horse trader. I'm glad to say that we found her, but she isn't in very good condition-"

"Where is she?" I asked, "Is she here?"

Ina smiled reassuringly. "Yeah, don't worry; she's just over there with Kana." She pointed to the barn, where my pitiful horse and a man with a ponytail stood watching us.

I grinned and twisted around Ina before running like an idiot towards my waiting horse. Yuripi whinnied pathetically when she saw me and I threw my arms around her white neck, stroking her dusty grey mane. Then, without thinking, I turned and threw myself at the man and hugged him tightly. When I realized what I was doing, my eyes shot open and I jumped back in embarrassment. Ponytail guy was staring at me in surprise.

I clasped my hands together awkwardly and giggled sheepishly. "I am so sorry about that."

The mans shocked expression softened into an amused smile. "Ha-ha, no problem. Ain't nothing wrong with a hug from a pretty girl every once in a while," he said, chuckling.

I blushed a deep red and looked at my feet, now even more embarrassed. The man placed a gentle hand on my shoulder and grinned. "No really, it's totally fine."

I laughed nervously. "So, uh, thanks for finding Yuripi for me, um…"

"Kana!" he offered a little too enthusiastically, "I'm Kana. I run Kana's Animals just next door to your farm."

"Nice to meet you Kana. I'm Lillian," I smiled sweetly.

Kana patted Yuripi's shoulder and frowned slightly. "So it turns out your horse took a fall after she threw you. Come look at this." He took my arm and led me around to Yuripi's right hind leg. I gasped.

There was a deep gash the length of my forearm across her hip. I bit my lip and tried to force the tears away that were threatening to spill over. _What a fantastic way to start the day, _I thought.

"She will heal, right?" I asked, twiddling my fingers behind me.

"Yeah, don't worry too much about it. I've seen a heck of a lot worse things happen to horses, and they usually turn out right as rain," Kana assured me cheerily, "I can keep her in my stables for a while if you like, I can get the local doctor to take a look at her."

I looked up at him. "Really? That would be great. I mean – I'll miss her, but I don't know if I'll have the time to properly take care of her with that wound…"

"Then it's settled, she can board at mine for a while," Kana grinned, "Though, you don't have to pay for anything. Consider it a house-warming gift!"

"What, are you sure? What about the treatment? Medicine is expensive!" I protested.

"Nah, it's totally fine."

I stared at him, as if he would suddenly change his mind. When I realized he was serious, I felt my face light up.

"Thank you so much! Oh wow, this is such a big help, thank you!" I practically yelled. _There goes my good first impression, _I thought, _Less than five minutes and I've already shown ponytail guy what an awkward person I am._

With that, Kana took the rope around Yuripi's neck and began gently coaxing her to move forward. I winced as Yuripi took a very stiff step. Staying with someone who looked after horses for a living would be good for her.

We slowly made our way out of my farm and toward a small house with a large fenced area full of horses of all sizes. I ran ahead and stood on one of the wooden railings of the fence, leaning over as far as I could to look at the horses. I had never seen so many beautiful horses in one place before.

"Do you really look after all of these horses yourself?" I asked, turning around and sitting on the fence as I waited Kana and Yuripi to catch up.

"Sure I do, how else do you think I got these biceps?" he joked, pulling a silly face and flexing his muscles.

I snorted and rolled my eyes. Then something caught my eye; across the road from Kana's house was an archway that looked to be leading into the side of the mountain I had climbed the night before. But there didn't seem to be a light at the end of it, as if it had caved in or something. I cocked my head to the side. Kana saw me staring and turned to see what I was so interested in.

"Oh, that. That's just the tunnel between here and Bluebell. But you'll have to go the long way over the mountain if you ever want to visit, the tunnel fell apart a while ago," he said matter-of-factly.

"Why doesn't anyone fix it? Seems a waste of time to climb all the way over the mountain to get somewhere when you can get there in five minutes."

Kana sighed. "I dunno, it's kinda considered taboo or something in both villages. People seem to think it caved in because the Harvest Goddess was mad. Besides, the villages hate each other a heck of a lot, I don't think they'd use the tunnel even if it was repaired."

I stuck my bottom lip out. "Oh well, I suppose once Yuripi's healed up climbing the mountain won't take so long. I'll just have to wait 'til then."

When Kana had Yuripi treated and let out to graze he looked up at the sky. "Seems about time for lunch time. I'm heading down to the Tea House, you wanna come? I could introduce you to the rest of the villagers if you like."

I nodded. What was with this guy? He was so friendly; he acted like he actually wanted to hang out with a clumsy girl like me. I felt like I had known him forever, though it had only been, what, half an hour at the most?

The village was absolutely gorgeous. It was the beginning of spring, and cherry trees lined the simple dirt streets. The houses were colourful; each one had one or two pretty lanterns hanging from the roof. A shimmery river ran straight through the village, and a bright red bridge arched over it. I felt like I was in a Japanese fairy-tale.

Kana laughed and ran his hand through the loose hair that fell over his eyes. "Yeah, it's pretty, right? Oh, see that girl over there, with the old man? She's Nori, and the man is her grandfather, Gombe. They run the farm and a shop that sells all kinds of seed. You'll be seeing a lot of them if you're going to be a good farmer."

He pointed to a tall pretty girl with extremely long, shiny black hair. She was wearing a flowing pink dress with a matching headband. Kana called to her and she turned and waved.

"Come, let's get you two introduced," he said, taking me by the arm again.

Kana dragged me over to the fence she was behind and leant against it. "Hey Nori, this is Lillian, the new farmer Ina told us about. She's a little quiet, so be nice to her, okay?"

Nori turned to me and smiled warmly. "Hi Lillian, it's really nice to meet you! Come visit if you ever need any help, I'm sure my grandfather would be more than happy to give you a few tips."

I pushed my fringe out of my eyes and smiled shyly. "Thanks, I really appreciate it."

"Say, Kana, I thought you'd be down at the Tea House? I just popped in there a little while ago, and they're all there waiting for you!" said Nori.

Kana's tanned face went white. "You mean that was today? Oh crap, I totally forgot about that. Mako's gonna pound me!"

Luckily, I was spared the torture of making small talk (which, may I point out, I am rather awful at), because Kana told Nori goodbye almost immediately and began leading me toward a big building over-looking the river, which I assumed was the Tea House. I chuckled to myself and allowed myself to be pulled along behind him.


	3. White Coat

The Tea House was as pretty on the inside as it was on the outside. And it was busy too; I was surprised to see most of the tables taken already.

"I can't believe I'd forgotten!" Kana whispered to me as we tiptoed through the door.

Before Kana could slip quietly in, a small pretty woman with a white coat and motherly eyes stood up and called to him.

"Kana!" she cried, "You're just in time! Come over here, we're about to start."

I looked at Kana questioningly. What on earth had I walked into?

"Be right there, Ayame!' he called back, then turned to me, "I guess I'm cleared. Seems she doesn't realize that her engagement party had totally slipped my mind."

"Engagement party? What?" I asked, still trying to piece together the situation in my head as Kana and I weaved our way among the people to a spot the woman had saved at a nearby table.

When I went to sit, I was surprised to see that instead of a chair there was only a small cushion to sit on. I stood awkwardly, wondering what I was supposed to do.

"Well go ahead, honey, take a seat," said an elderly woman sitting across the table from Kana and I.

Kana looked at me expectantly from where he sat on the cushion next to mine. "Don't be shy, the cushion won't bite!"

I realized then that they were actually expecting me to sit on the cushion, so I sat down and shifted my legs uncomfortably. I was going to have trouble getting used to this.

"So Kana, is this lovely young lady your date to the party?" asked the old woman.

I blushed while Kana laughed. "Don't tell Ayame or Mako, but I had totally forgotten about the party and was showing "this lovely young lady" around the village. Though I'd be happy to call it a date if she's okay with it." He ended with a chuckle.

I hit Kana's arm. "Stop saying stuff like that. You're embarrassing me!"

The elderly woman chuckled and continued to make fun of me. "My, you're acting like a married couple already! So what's your name, dear?"

"I'm Lillian, I'm the new-"

"Lillian, huh?" interrupted the pretty woman who had invited us in, "I'm Ayame, and that's my fiancé, Mako." She pointed to a ridiculously buff man laughing heartily at a nearby table. "I work at the medical clinic down the road from here."

Mako, at the mention of his name, came bustling over and put a large hand around his fiancé's waist. "Who have we here?" He peered down at me.

"This is Lillian, dear. She's the new farmer we've been expecting," replied Ayame.

Mako grabbed my hand and shook it with such a grip I feared it would dislocate my shoulder. "Lillian, is it? Well it's a pleasure to meet you!"

When he released my throbbing hand, I stared around at everyone in bewilderment. I had signed up to be a farmer, but I felt like an exhibit at the museum. I glanced at Kana, who was watching me with a playful smirk on his face. He was enjoying this!

"Anyway, we better get back to our other guests. It was nice to meet you, Lillian, come visit sometime!" said Ayame, and she and Mako left.

I sighed in relief and drew in a deep breath. Finally, I was allowed some breathing space.

"I'm Yun by the way," said the elderly woman across the table, "This is my Tea House. I make all the food, and my granddaughter here is my pretty little waitress!"

Yun moved aside, revealing a little girl clutching a stuffed panda who had been hiding behind her.

"Ying dear, say hello. Lillian won't hurt you," Yun urged, pulling the child out from behind her.

Ying sat down on her cushion. "Hello…"

"Hi Ying, it's nice to meet you," I said, offering her my best smile. At least someone here wasn't overly confident.

Realizing I was hardly a threat, Ying pulled her stuffed panda from her face and smiled shyly at me. "You look kinda like my mum."

I laughed. "Really? Where is she, let's see if I really do."

At that, Yun's face fell slightly. "Ying's parents aren't here, I'm afraid. They live in the city, and sent Ying here to live with me for a while, because she's a little sick at the moment, aren't you, darling?" Yun stroked Ying's hair, and Ying nodded silently.

"But I'm happy here. I get to play with Rahi." She grinned.

I smiled. "Oh yeah, who's he?"

He's Mayor Ina's son", she replied, "I like him; he's nice."

By the end of the party I had met everyone from Konohana. Everyone seemed really nice, and I was looking forward to getting to know the village even more.

Ayame was at the door to thank guests and when Kana and I went to leave, she pushed a little purple envelope into my hand.

"What's this?" I turned it over in my hand.

"You seem like a pretty decent girl, so I thought I'd give you a formal invitation to my wedding! Everyone else in Konohana is going, and I'd really love it if you come too," she explained.

I smiled. "Sure, I'll be there. Thanks."

Ayame patted my back as I left the Tea House. I breathed in the fresh air as Kana and I walked up the path out of the village.

"So, what'd ya think?" Kana asked, stretching his arms out above his head, "Everyone's pretty nice, huh?"

I nodded. "Yeah. Thanks for introducing me to everyone. That saved me a lot of trouble. I'm not so good at talking to strangers."

He put his hands in his pockets and looked over at me. "I figured as much. But that's totally fine. You won't need any extra confidence living in Konohana. We're such a tight community, before you know it we'll all be like family to you."

At the mention of family my contentment turned to guilt. Here I was having fun, when my family back home was going through hell. I needed to get to work.

Kana offered to walk me home, but I politely turned him down. On returning home, I cut my tiny field free of grass and ploughed it, ready to plant seeds in the morning.

That evening I sat outside in the tall grass and watched the sunset. I was completely on my own. All my life I had been living with my family of four; I had never been lonely before. Now, for the first time, I had a heavy, empty feeling in my chest.

_This must be what loneliness feels like, _I thought as I wrapped my arms around my shivering body.

But then I thought of all the smiling faces that had greeted me in the Tea House and warmth began to flow through my body again. I would miss my family an awful lot, but maybe they were holding me back from bigger things. Maybe, just maybe, when I'd done what I had to do, I could start building a life in Konohana.


	4. Violinist

The spring sun beat down on my back, heating up my cardi and making me unpleasantly sticky. Taking a quick break from my tough physical work, I threw my cardi off and let myself fall backward onto the cool grass. The slight breeze was heavenly.

The first week in Konohana had passed uneventfully, but nicely. I had gotten to know the villagers, and had spent quite a bit of my time with Kana. Yuripi had progressed quickly, and began to walk normally again, much to my delight. The crops I had planted were doing well and I had already shipped a bunch of high quality turnips out. Everything seemed to be going according to plan and I was very pleased with myself.

Opening my eyes again, I looked up at the sky. The sun was high in the sky, and my stomach growled. Man, was I hungry! Farming by myself was really taking up a lot of my energy.

After freshening up and shipping the vegetables I had harvested, I headed straight to Yun's Tea House. Lunch at Yun's had become a regular thing. Not only was the food great, but there was usually one or two people there to chat with. It was the easiest way to get to know the villagers. But this particular day I walked through the doorway and there wasn't a single person there besides Yun. Even Ying was nowhere in sight!

"Business is slow today, hmm?" I commented as I slipped off my shoes and stepped into the provided indoor shoes.

"Yeah, sorry dear. I'm afraid there isn't any good company today," Yun said from behind the counter, "I'd be happy to chat, but I'm sure you don't want to talk to someone as dull as me."

I frowned. "That's silly, Yun. Of course I'd love to chat."

Yun smiled. "If you say so, dear. What would you like today?"

I ordered my usual and sat down at the closest table.

"Just let me get this in the oven, and I'll be right there," called Yun.

"Sure," I said, swallowing a large mouthful; I really was starving. "How's Ying doing? You know, with her health."

"Oh, she's the same. As much as I'd like her to get better, I don't think she'll ever recover completely," Yun said quietly.

"I don't mean to pry, but is her illness serious?" I wondered.

Yun shut the over door and stood up, wiping her hands on her apron. "All doctors and specialists say different things about it. Not much is known about Ying's condition." The little old woman walked over and sat down across from me. "How do you like the food? I thought up that recipe quite a few years ago…"

Yun's voice trailed on, but my ears were focused on something else now. The unmistakable squeaky sound of a violin being badly played wandered through the room. It seemed to be coming from the room in the back of Yun's Tea House.

Yun paused and looked at me. "Whatever is the matter, dear? You look like you're in some kind of trance."

I turned to look at the doorway to the back room.

"Oh, are you listening to the violin?" Yun asked, grinning.

I nodded. "Who's playing?"

"That would be Ying playing back there. She has her violin lesson today. Is it bothering you, dear? I could ask her to keep it down." She began to get up.

"Oh no, not at all! You don't need to do that. I like music," I reassured her. _Though I doubt you could call that music._

But Yun was already up and making her way to the back room. "It's okay. They should be finishing now anyway."

As Yun disappeared through the doorway, I gulped down the last of my lunch. I really needed to get back to my farm.

Placing my empty bowl on the counter with a bunch of cash, I called out to let Yun know I was leaving, and stepped out of the Tea House into the sunshine again. Halfway to my farm I realized I'd forgotten to swap the indoor shoes for my outdoor ones. I smacked my forehead. _What an idiot!_ I spun on my heel and walked all the way back to the Tea House in the simmering heat. I dragged my feet up the steps into the Tea House and walked straight into something tall and hard. "Oof." The impact sent me flying down the steps and I landed on my butt in the dirt. I looked up in shock to see a tall young man with silvery white hair hurrying down the steps.

"Oh my goodness, are you alright? My sincerest apologies," the man exclaimed, kneeling at my side and placing a worried hand on my shoulder.

"It's fine," I muttered, going red with embarrassment, "it's just as much my fault as it is yours. I should have looked where I was going."

The man stood again and offered a hand, which I gratefully took and pulled myself up. "My name is Mikhail. It isn't your fault, I take full responsibility."

I brushed myself off and looked up at him. He was even taller than I had thought. "I'm Lillian."

Before I could say anything else, Mikhail stooped down and peered at my face. I stepped back in surprise and he immediately stopped.

"Forgive me," he said, pushing a pair of thin framed glasses further up his nose, "I feel certain that I've met you somewhere before. Your face seems very familiar.

I blinked. "You must be mistaken. I've only recently moved here."

"How strange," he said, "Again, I apologise for acting so oddly. I must be on my way now. It was a pleasure to meet you, Lillian, though I wish we hadn't met quite like this." He chuckled quietly.

I laughed. "Yeah, nice to meet you too. I have to get back to my farm, so I'll be going as well."

"Oh, you reside at the farm by the mountain?" asked Mikhail.

"Yeah, I do."

"I happen to be headed in that direction also. Let me accompany you on your walk home. It's the least I can do after knocking you over," he offered, smiling.

"Sure, okay," I replied; he seemed friendly enough, "Just let me get something and I'll be right out."

I dashed into the Tea House and put on my outdoor shoes while no one was looking, then walked calmly back outside as if nothing had happened.

"So, you say you are new to Konohana? I haven't been in this area very long either," Mikhail said as he walked along beside me, the bottom of his trench coat flapping around in the breeze.

"Yeah?" I looked at him, "Whatcha been doing before you came here?"

Mikhail's pace quickened. "I have just come out of college. I… I was studying at a music school, but uh… something happened and I dropped out."

"Yeah?" I said cheerfully, not catching the mood change, "What happened?"

"Nothing," he said flatly, "It isn't important. My life is in Bluebell now."

"Bluebell? You aren't from Konohana? It must be a pain to walk all the way over the mountain just for a music lesson!" I exclaimed.

Mikhail smiled wistfully. "It's alright. I rather enjoy the journey across the mountain. I'm able to see the beauty of nature, and listen to the birds and the wind. My senses are truly awakened when I am alone in nature."

I watched Mikhail as he spoke. His eyes shone as he talked about the mountain.

"My walks in the mountain inspire me to compose music. Though, at times I suppose a tunnel would benefit me greatly," he continued.

I nodded. "I wonder what really happened to the tunnel."

"I've been told by several people that the Harvest Goddess is to blame for the blockage," said Mikhail.

"Yeah, I've heard that too. If it's true, it doesn't really do anything for her image. I mean, what kind of Harvest Goddess is she, if she only makes life harder for people," I stated.

The conversation died down as we came to my farm.

"Well, I guess I'll see you around," I said, holding my hands behind my back.

"Yes, it was a pleasure meeting you. I'm sure I will see you again soon," he said, smiling.

We said goodbye and I watched him walk away. _He was a little strange, but he seemed nice enough_, I thought.

"It isn't polite to talk about people behind their back," said a voice out of nowhere.

I jumped about a mile and spun around to see the most beautiful woman I had seen in my like standing at the entrance to my farm, with her arms folded angrily and her lower lip protruding. I stood stunned for several seconds.

"What – who? Where did you come from?" I finally managed to get out.

The woman took a few stiff steps toward me, her long white skirt swishing around her legs. Her sea green braid whipped fiercely from side to side.

"I did it for a reason, you know. I didn't just block up the tunnel for the fun of it. If I hadn't intervened, the villagers from Bluebell and Konohana would have ended up murdering each other!" she spat furiously.

I opened my mouth to say something, but she beat me to it.

"What I did was for the good of both of the villages! So don't you go criticizing me behind my back." The woman sighed and buried her face in her hands, "I'm sorry for yelling."

I kept standing where I was, unsure of what I should say or do.

"You're probably right. In the long run, closing the tunnel wasn't a good idea. But I was desperate, those people had a serious problem that needed to be sorted out immediately, and closing the tunnel was all I could think of…"

This conversation had been one-sided long enough. I found my voice. "So… you're the Harvest Goddess I take it?"

"That's me," she said in a sarcastically sweet voice, curtseying and rolling her eyes, "But I'm not feeling like much of a goddess these days. I just can't get those two villages to make up."

Suddenly I pitied her, despite the anger she had shown just a moment ago.

"I don't really know much about what you're talking about, but is there any way I can help?" I offered, then mentally kicked myself. I had enough on my plate, what did I think I was doing?

The Harvest Goddess clasped her hands together. "Oh, would you?" she cried, "I don't really know what'd you'd be able to do, but I would be grateful for any help I can get."

"Well, you want the villages to get along, right? All you'd need to do would be to start off with a single friendship between two people from the different villages. I'm sure that would lead to many more," I offered.

Her eyes lit up. "You know, that might work!" she said, snapping her fingers, "You could do that right? It wouldn't be too much effort since you're new here. You aren't pegged to any specific village yet. You could be like, the go-between or something!"

"Wait a minute, I have other-"

"Thank you so much, Lillian! I have to now, toodles!"

And before I could protest, she had vanished. This was great, just another burden added to my load. Sighing, I watered my crops for the second time that day and flopped onto my bed.

Slowly I came to terms with the fact that I had just had a conversation with the Harvest Goddess herself. I hadn't even been sure that she was real a few minutes ago. It couldn't have been the heat getting to me, could it? I pushed my fringe out of my eyes and turned over. I would sort it out in the morning.


	5. Promise

The next day, after tending to my crops, I packed a small bag and set off toward Kana's place.

I had thought hard about what the Harvest Goddess had told me, and had decided that I would help out after all. A little socializing was all I was really expected to do, and I didn't really have anything to lose. I would rent a horse and travel to Bluebell. Besides, I needed to talk to the carpenter about expanding my field, and I planned on buying a couple chickens and maybe a cow if I had enough money left over.

The bell jingled as I opened the door to Kana's Animals, and ponytail guy popped up from behind the counter, giving me the fright of my life.

"Welcome to Kana's Animals!" he said loudly and happily, then he saw it was me, "Oh, hey Lillian. How are you?"

_When my nerves had calmed down, I smiled. "Hey Kana. I'm good, yeah. Have you got any horses_ available? I'm taking a trip."

"A trip, huh? Yeah I've got a couple horses I could lend ya."

"I'm going to stay in Bluebell overnight and travel home in the morning," I said.

Kana stopped stocking his shelves and turned to me. "Bluebell? Why the heck would you wanna go there? That place totally stinks."

"I… Well, I thought I might get a few animals…" I said.

"Oh, right," he said, and continued loading his shelves with horse feed, "For a second there I was afraid you'd decided to actually move to that lame place."

I laughed. "No, I'm quite happy here for now."

When Kana had finished his work he turned and slapped his hands on the counter, grinning at me. "Right, let's find you a horse!"

The amount of horses in Kana's pasture had been dramatically reduced. There were only three left – one of them being Yuripi, who I obviously couldn't take. That only left two horses for me to choose from.

"Sorry for the total lack of variety," he said, running a hand through his dark hair, "A whole lot of my horses are already being rented out at the moment."

He walked over to a small black horse. "This is my baby, Rin," he said, running a hand over her back, "She's strong, but she's young and skittish. Maybe she's not the best choice if you're taking a long trip."

I smiled and patted her nose. "She's awfully cute."

Kana chuckled. "That makes two of you."

I withdrew my hand sharply and folded my arms. "You really need to stop that. It's way too embarrassing."

Kana just laughed. "Aren't I allowed to speak my mind?"

I frowned and turned my head away so he couldn't see my cheeks heating up. A hint of a smile played at my lips, though. _Stop pretending you don't enjoy this, _I inwardly chided myself.

"This here is my boy Ichiro," he said, changing the subject as he stroked a larger grey horse, "He has the opposite problem to Rin, though. He's a total old man, slow and lazy."

Kana placed one hand on his hip, and the other up to his face, playing with his bottom lip. Then his eyes lit up and he snapped his fingers.

"How about you take my own horse?" he offered.

"What? No, I couldn't," I protested, this guy had been too kind to me already.

"I'll admit, I've never lent her to anyone before, but I can't have you taking an unsafe horse. Come, I'll show you my favourite girl," he said enthusiastically, taking me by the arm yet again and leading me into the stable.

As I walked through the doors of the stable, the warm smell of hay welcomed me. I liked stables and barns; often I had slept in my parents' barn as a child.

Kana and I passed stall after stall, until we came to the last one, this one much bigger than the rest. He moved aside so I could see in. Standing in the stall was a pretty, well-built golden brown horse. _Sure, _I thought, _she's good looking, but I've seen a lot of horses like her._ The horse didn't look particularly special to me, but by the proud look on Kana's face, I decided it would be best to keep my opinion to myself.

"She's beautiful," I said lamely.

My boring compliment didn't seem to faze Kana – though come to think of it, nothing really did – "Isn't she? Her name's Hayate, she's my best girl."

I twiddled my fingers while Kana continued to stare at Hayate in admiration.

"So uh, can I try riding her?" I asked.

That snapped him out of it. "Oh, yeah 'course!"

Soon I was back outside on Hayate's back. She was strong and obedient, both important qualities to have in horses.

"You and Hayate make an awesome team. She seems to really like you," Kana grinned.

"I like her too. She's an excellent horse," I said truthfully; Hayate was growing on me.

I brought Hayate to a halt and realized she was taller than my own horse. I wasn't used to jumping so far off a horse. I didn't really trust my awful sense of coordination to land me safely on my feet either. I sat awkwardly in the saddle.

"What's wrong?" Kana asked, frowning slightly.

My cheeks flushed pink; I felt like such an idiot. "I um… I'm not used to such a high horse. How… how do I get off?" I asked quietly, focusing my gaze intently on my hands, which were wrapped around the reigns.

Kana looked at me and threw his head back in laughter. I frowned.

"Oh, I'm sorry," he said, wiping a tear from his eye, "I'm not laughing at you, really!"

I guess I didn't look convinced. Kana took a deep breath and exhaled. "Okay, I'm done. I'm sorry."

Meanwhile I was still stuck in the saddle of his stupid horse. "So how _do_ I get off?"

Kana came closer and stood beside Hayate, reaching out his arms. I stared, confused. I looked at his face, then his arms, then back at his face. Was he seriously expecting me to..?

"Just climb off like you normally would. If you slip, I'll catch you," he said, matter-of-factly. _Seriously, did nothing at all faze this guy?_

"But – but you'll laugh at me," I said, stuttering like a dork, "Besides, that's way too embarrassing."

"I won't laugh," he said, not totally serious, "You need to stop worrying so much about being embarrassed. How else do you think you're going to get down?"

He had a point.

"You will laugh at me," I protested, "You say you won't now, but I know you will."

"I won't."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

I held my breath and slipped off the horse with ease.

And he caught me before I landed on the ground.

And he didn't laugh.


	6. Uncomfortable

I arrived in Bluebell just past midday. It had started to rain and there wasn't a single person in sight. I rode Hayate around slowly, looking for something – anything – that might tell me where I was. Finally I spotted someone; a man standing at a stall with only a blue umbrella to save him getting wet. I tied poor Hayate to a post and walked to where the man stood, covering my head with my hands.

"Hi," I said, "Can you give me directions?"

The man looked up when I spoke. I was surprised to see such a handsome face looking back at me underneath a fringe of blonde hair.

"Hi, welcome to Cam's Flowers," he said, "I don't think we've met before. I'm Cam."

"I'm Lillian," I said, smiling, "I've only just moved to Konohana and this is my first time in Bluebell, so I'm absolutely lost."

I thought I saw the corners of his mouth curve slightly upwards, but I could have been mistaken. "Before I say anything further, let's get you an umbrella."

He left his spot behind the stall and walked to the door of a nearby building. "Well come on, you're getting drenched," he coaxed.

I followed Cam into a large, warm room that appeared to be a restaurant of some sort. When we walked in, a cute blonde girl flounced over.

"Welcome to Howards Caf- oh it's just you Cam," she said, but then she was me, "Oh you poor thing, you're soaked!"

She immediately ran off to find towels and clean clothes. I spotted another person; a rather tall, but very feminine looking man behind the counter.

"Howard," Cam addressed the man, "Have we got an extra umbrella we could give away?"

'Howard' looked up and put his hands to his cheeks. "Cam, who's your adorable little friend?"

_Oh no, not this again._ Cam pulled his purple hat further down his face, nearly covering his eyes.

"I'm Lillian. I just moved to Konohana and I came here to buy animals. Could you please give me directions to a place called Jessica's Livestock?" I asked, reading the note I had made on my hand.

"Sure thing, dear," Howard began, "Or rather, I'm sure Cam will be able to show you there."

_What was this, a dating site?_

I looked up at Cam, but his eyes were fixed on something, or rather, someone. His eyes followed the blonde girl as she bustled around in the back rooms.

_Ha!_ I thought, _and this Howard guy thinks he needs to play matchmaker? Please, it's going on right under his nose!_

Howard followed our gazes. "That's my daughter, Laney. Isn't she a good girl?"

Laney came over with clothes and threw a towel around me. "Dad please, I'm not a little girl. There you go. I brought you some old clothes of mine – just a typical Bluebell looking outfit."

Laney handed me the clothes and smoothed her white apron, before showing me to her bedroom and leaving me to change. As I replaced my soaked clothes with the soft yellow dress, lacy bandanna and red waistcoat with matching stockings, I tried to remember the names of the people I had just met. They sure were friendly.

When I had finished changing I was given an umbrella and sent out the door with Cam. Cam came across as the quiet type, so most of the walk passed in silence.

"Do you like Konohana?" Cam asked, putting one hand in the pocket of his jeans.

I shrugged. "Yeah, it's nice enough. The people are sweet and the scenery is pretty. What more could I want?"

"Really? I was always under the impression that Konohana was full of awful people. That's what everyone tells me, I've never been there myself," Cam replied.

"Konohana seems to think the same about Bluebell. But so far the village seems decent enough to me."

"Do… do they have many flowers over there?" he asked, sinking his neck into the collar of his shirt. He must've been embarrassed.

"Uh… I never really took much notice, but yeah, I suppose they do."

Cam relaxed. "Oh. Maybe I'll visit sometime."

I smiled. This guy was turning out to be a real softie.

"Next time you visit you should come by my flower stand. I have some really beautiful flowers, and perfume too. Girls like perfume, right?" he asked, smiling.

I nodded. "I'll take a look sometime."

The rest of the day passed smoothly. I bought a chicken and a cow, and even had time to ask Eileen – the carpenter – to cut down some of my trees. She told me she'd have it done by the time I got home, which I was very glad to hear.

When I'd finished my errands it was getting dark, so I headed to the Town Hall.

After putting Hayate in the stable for the night, I walked into the Town Hall and hung up my dripping umbrella. This Town Hall was very different from the one in Konohana. Framed pictures of farm animals hung on the wall, which was papered in floral designs. A familiar looking man stood behind the counter, his back to me.

"…Rutger? Is that you?" I asked.

The man turned around and smiled warmly. "Welcome, Lillian! What brings you here?"

"Oh, I've just been running a few errands in Bluebell, and I need a place to stay for the night," I said, feeling suddenly at home.

"You're in luck," Rutger said, "We have exactly one room available. Let me take your bag and I'll show you where you'll be staying."

I followed Rutger down a corridor to the left and he opened the door to the room on the very end. "If you need anything, my wife and I will be upstairs. Feel free to explore, we have a library behind the counter if you need a good book."

I thanked him, and he left. My room was cosy and full of more floral patterns – the walls, the bedspread, even the couch. I exhaled slowly and flopped on the couch. It still wasn't completely dark and I wasn't tired at all, so I left to get a book. I found one about keeping bees that looked interesting enough and turned to go back to my room. But when I turned into the corridor I slammed into something solid and, once again, ended up on my backside. The book flew from my hands and landed several feet away.

"Is this going to become a regular thing?" a familiar voice asked, chuckling softly.

I looked up. It was the violin guy again. Mikhail reached down and helped me back to my feet. "Once again, I am truly sorry. Are you hurt?"

I checked for broken bones. "No, I think I'm okay."

"I'm relieved. What brings you to Bluebell? Wasn't it only yesterday you were complaining about the journey being too far?"

"I had errands," I said, "But hey, I didn't know you were staying in Town Hall! I would've come and said hi."

Mikhail rubbed the back of his neck. "In that case, would you like to come in? I have tea brewing," he said, smiling pleasantly.

"Sure, why not?"

Mikhail's room was furnished in a much similar way to mine. More nauseating colours and girlish patterns on everything in the room.

He walked to the stove to see how the tea was going. "You know, you really do look familiar."

I looked up. "How so?"

"I really can't place my finger on it. Maybe it's your melodious voice… No, that isn't it."

I raised my eyebrow. _Melodious? What? _I'd never been complimented on my voice before, maybe it was normal here.

He turned to face me, leaning against the kitchen bench. "Your hair? I don't think it's quite that either."

I turned my face towards him. Mikhail scratched his chin and looked hard at my face.

"I've got it!" he exclaimed, standing up straight, "It's your deep purple eyes. I feel like I've seen those beautiful eyes somewhere."

I blinked. "Hmm, how strange."

"You don't perhaps happen to have a sister, or a cousin maybe?"

I shook my head. "Sorry, I only have a brother. I don't have any cousins either; both my parents are the only children in their families."

"I can't imagine how you seem so familiar then. Perhaps we were soul mates in another dimension."

I stiffened. _Was that supposed to be a joke?_ He hadn't laughed. This was getting a little weird.

"The tea's done. How would you prefer yours?" he asked.

I stood up. "That's alright. I feel a little ill suddenly. I think I might go to bed early tonight."

Mikhail turned to me and before I could protest, placed a hand on my forehead. "How odd. You don't have a fever."

I stepped back. "Well, I've been in the rain all day, so I probably have a cold coming on. But it was nice chatting with you." I really didn't feel like staying much longer.

"What a shame. I was looking forward to sharing my evening tea with someone," Mikhail said, "But if you don't feel well, I had better let you go."

I smiled nervously. "Yeah, thanks for having me."

I was glad to settle into bed that night. The truth was I was feeling fine, but for some reason being around Mikhail made me strangely uncomfortable. I couldn't understand it; he had been kind to me after all. I scolded myself inwardly for being so rude, shrugged off the feeling and fell into a fitful sleep.


	7. Hysterics

I awoke to the pitter-patter of rain against my window. I was a little disappointed about the weather to say the least. I had hoped today would be sunny, so I could get to Konohana without drenching myself. Brushing aside my negative thoughts, I got up to check my wet Konohana outfit – it was almost dry. I frowned; I had wanted to have it wearable by morning so I could return Laney's clothes. _I guess I'll hang around Bluebell a little longer._

After washing my face and brushing my long, brown hair I stepped outside onto the wet pavement, this time with an umbrella. It was mid-morning and the village was pleasantly silent. The rain was lighter than it had been the day before, and a few rays of sun shone through the clouds.

I heard the sound of a door click, and turned my head in the direction of the sound. Cam was just leaving the Café, but instead of going to his flower stand he walked across the town square and headed in the direction of the mountain.

"Hey, Cam!" I shouted, standing on my tippy toes and waving like a maniac.

He turned around and stood waiting for me to catch up. By the time I reached him I was breathless. I stood, hands on my knees trying to catch my breath. The longer Bluebell skirt I was wearing was a little harder to run in.

Finally I managed to speak. "Where are you off to?"

Cam pushed his blonde hair out of his eyes and readjusted his cap. "It's my day off, so I thought I'd take a walk in the mountain. Did you want to join me?"

"Sure." I had time to kill.

I straightened my skirt and bandanna and skipped after Cam, who had already started walking.

"Is this what you usually do in your spare time?" I asked, jumping over a puddle.

Cam smiled. "Yeah, I enjoy spending time on the mountain. The scenery is so peaceful; it's the best place to relax."

"Are there many animals on this side of the mountain?"

Cam looked at me. "There're a lot of animals. Ducks, monkeys, rabbits – there's even a grumpy old bear who hands around sometimes."

"A bear?" I exclaimed, "I've never seen a bear before. There aren't many wild animals where I come from."

"I can introduce you, if you like," he said calmly.

"Introduce me? But… he's a wild animal! Won't he attack?" I stopped walking.

Cam stopped too, and looked back at me. "Animals can be friends, Lillian."

"But… bears? Seriously?" I asked sceptically.

"Just come with me. I promise you'll be safe," he said, as he turned and continued walking.

I raised an eyebrow and followed him.

I hadn't taken much notice of the scenery when I had ridden to Bluebell the day before, so I was surprised to see how gorgeous it was. The grass was greener than any I'd ever seen, bushed dotted the landscape, and a shallow stream ran between the trees. Cam was right – it was the most peaceful place I had ever been in. A rabbit scampered around our feet and a white duck swam in the stream nearby. It had stopped raining by then, and the sun was warming up the air, so Cam and I had left our umbrellas at the town gate.

I sat on the grass and dangled my feet in the stream. The water was ice-cold, but refreshing. I looked up at Cam, who was still standing. He seemed to be watching something. Then I heard a low growl and my whole body tensed up. I couldn't bring myself to turn, or even move at all.

"Well, here he is," Cam said.

The ground began to shake and my head whipped around to see a big brown bear running straight toward me. Before I could even think, I scrambled to my feet and half ran, half tripped as fast as I could toward Cam. I just managed to stay on my feet as I dove behind Cam and impulsively grabbed at the back of his purple shirt. I closed my eyes and waited for the collision. But it never came. The bear skidded to a halt and sat at Cam's feet. I slowly opened one eye and then the other, and peered around Cam at the huge creature. Cam reached down and stroked the bears head. I could believe my eyes. Slowly, I released my handful of shirt and tiptoed out from behind him. Abandoning all the logic I had ever been taught, I gingerly reached out and gave the animal a quick pat on the head, before jerking my hand back to my side. The bear turned to look at me.

"Don't be so stiff about it," Cam said, "He'll calm down when you do."

I exhaled slowly and willed my heart rate to slow down. I tried again, this time leaving my hand on the bear's fur instead of panicking and pulling it away. The bear showed no sign of aggression, so I began stroking him, carefully at first and then more naturally. Soon I was scratching his ears and rubbing his belly. I don't know who was enjoying this more; the bear or me!

Meanwhile Cam was standing quite still. Curious, I looked at him. He had his cap pulled down low so I couldn't see his eyes, and his hand covered the rest of his face. His shoulders were shaking.

"Cam…?" I said, suddenly worried.

I stepped closer, resting a hand on his shoulder. Suddenly he pulled his hand away from his face, threw his head back so far his hat fell off, and let out the loudest, happiest laugh I had ever heard. I drew my hand back in fright and stood by as the hearty laughter burst from his lips and echoed all over the mountain. The bear ran as fast as he could from the noise and hid in a fallen hollow log.

Struggling to even stand, Cam held on to his sides. "You… you should have seen yourself!" he blurted out between snorts of laughter.

I continued to stare. I had barely even seen Cam smile, and now he was laughing like I had never seen anyone laugh before. It was quite a shock. Then I remembered how madly I had run when I had seen the bear, and it suddenly struck me as funny. I smirked, and then giggled, and before I knew it I was in hysterics right alongside Cam.

I don't know how long we stood there laughing, but I do know that we both had really needed it.

I spent most of the day learning how to befriend animals with Cam and then it was time to head back to Konohana.

Back at the Town Hall I packed my bag and saddled Hayate. As I led her out of the stable, Mikhail stepped out of the Town Hall and looked in my direction. I smiled and waved; I had told myself I would be more polite the next time I saw him.

"Feeling better?" he asked, strolling over and giving Hayate a pat on the nose.

"Yes, thanks. I'm feeling much better today," I replied, "Sorry I don't have time to chat. I was just about to leave for Konohana."

"Do you mind if I escort you back? I would never be able to forgive myself if you were to get sick again in the middle of the journey," he said.

"I can handle myself," I began, "But if you really want to, I won't stop you."

Something was telling me this was a bad idea. I could hear alarm bells going off in my head, but I ignored them, determined to make up for lying to him the day before.

Mikhail rented a horse from Grady, the Bluebell horse trader, and before long we were riding up the mountain through the lush green spring foliage. I was relieved when Mikhail kept quiet during the first half of the trip. He said off things when we had conversations.

"We're almost there," Mikhail commented.

The sun was beginning to set and the sky had turned a pretty mixture of orange and pink. The intoxicating but pleasant smell of spring flowers lingered in the air.

"Yes, it's lucky. It'll be nearly dark by the time we get back. We'll be just in time," I said, eager to be home.

Mikhail was silent for a while. "The Bluebell look suits you," he said, referring to the outfit Laney had told me to keep.

_Oh goody,_ I though, _Not this again!_

"Thank you," I said through clenched teeth, "But I think I prefer my Konohana clothes."

"I guess most anything would look nice on you," he said.

I brought Hayate to a halt. "Look, it's kind of you to say that, but I'm not really one to enjoy flattery."

"I'm not trying to flatter you," he said, "You merely remind me of someone I love very deeply."

I sat rigid in my saddle. "Maybe so, but I'm that person. I'm me." If he didn't stop soon I would lost it.

Thankfully, the Konohana gates came into view at that moment and I sped Hayate up a little.

"Ah," I sighed, contented, "home, sweet home."

Mikhail and I brought our horses to a halt at the turning point to my farm. It also happened to be right by Kana's house, just in case Mikhail started getting overly weird.

"So our journey has regrettably come to an end," began Mikhail, "I hope to see you again very soon."

"Mikhail, stop," I said flatly, "I'm not interested, if that's what you want to know."

He frowned. "You aren't interested? Maybe you haven't quite come to terms with your deeper feelings yet-"

"I'm serious, Mikhail," I continued, getting that uncomfortable feeling again, "I'd appreciate it if you went home now."

To my horror, Mikhail got off his horse and walked toward Hayate and I. He took my hand in his. "I don't think you quite understand-"

I pulled my hand away roughly. "What's the matter with you?" I shouted, "You really need to get a grip."

A door slammed loudly before either of us could say anything else and we both whipped our heads around. To my great relief, I saw that Kana was quickly making his way over to us.

"Lillian, is this guy bothering you?" Kana growled.

Mikhail stepped back. "I was doing no such thing. What I was speaking to Lillian about is no business of yours."

Kana stood up straight, and was surprisingly just as tall as Mikhail. "Oh yeah? Lillian looked pretty bothered to me."

Mikhail mounted his horse. "I have to be going. Hopefully I'll see you soon, Lillian." And with that he was gone.

"You'll have to get through me first!" Kana yelled after him.

When Mikhail was out of sight, I breathed a huge sigh of relief.

"What a wad," said Kana, then he turned to me, "Are you okay? I was watching from my window and you looked kinda scared."

I slipped off Hayate and straightened out my skirt. "I'm alright. Mikhail's been weird since last night. I had to stay in the hotel room next to his."

Kana placed a warm hand on my shoulder and I looked up.

"If he ever scares you again, let me know. I'll have a talk with him."

I smiled, too worn out to reply.

We led Hayate back to Kana's stable together in comfortable silence. What did I feel so easy around Kana? Maybe it was because he himself was so casual, so laidback about everything. I envied his attitude.

When Hayate was watered and fed, we went back outside and sat on the fence. It was dark now, and already the sky was full of stars. The evening air was chilly and I hugged myself in an effort to keep warm.

"So… Ayame's wedding is coming up in a few days," Kana said.

I detected a rare not of nervousness in Kana's voice.

"Yeah," I said lamely.

Kana stuck his hands in the pocket of his orange sleeveless hoodie and took a deep breath. "I was kinda wondering if… if we could go together…" He was clearly struggling with this.

I was glad he couldn't see me smiling like an idiot in the dark.

"I… I mean, if you don't want anything like that, we could just go as friends," he continued, stumbling over his words.

"I think it would be fun to go together," I said, trying not to sound too enthusiastic.

"You… you do?" Kana asked. I could sense his grin.

"Sure."

"Great! Awesome! The ceremony starts at three, right? I'll pick you up at, say, half past two?" He was back to his usual energetic self.

"Sounds good to me," I said, and it really did.


	8. The Woods

The days leading up to Mako and Ayame's wedding dragged out painfully slowly for me, but not for Konohana. Everyone was busy with preparations; Reina the botanist was in charge of flowers, Nori was making a beautiful gown for Ayame, and the food was being looked after by Yun and Ayame's apprentice, Hiro. For a young man busy training to be a doctor, Hiro could cook remarkably well. Even Ying and Rahi had special jobs; they were to be the flower girl and ring bearer.

Despite Nori being so busy with the wedding gown, she had managed to create several more outfits for me, which I was very grateful for. She had even included a few for special occasions, so I didn't have to attend the wedding in my work clothes.

With the extra space on my field thanks to Eileen, the carpenter, I could grow much more. I even had room for a few trees, which were slowly sprouting.

Finally the day of the wedding rolled around. I could barely contain my excitement as I cared for my crops and milked my new cow. By the time I had finished my chores and eaten lunch at home, it was nearly two in the afternoon.

I jumped from my chair and flung open my drawers. There were two particular dresses that really caught my interest. One was a simple white dress with blue polka dots and a blue waistcoat. I had blue stockings that would have gone perfectly with it. The other option was a very pink and very Asian-looking dress, with a matching wrap-around shirt to go over it. Both the dress and the shirt were beautifully embroidered. I opted to go with the pink outfit, and it was just as well I did.

"Wow, Lillian, that's an awesome outfit," exclaimed Kana when I opened the door to his enthusiastic knocking, "You look totally great!"

I had prepared myself for this beforehand, so instead of going red, I merely nodded. "Thank you Kana, you look pretty good yourself."

Kana looked me over. "So what have you done with the real Lillian? She never would have taken a compliment as well as that."

I laughed. "I knew you'd be disappointed. You like embarrassing me, don't you?"

Kana threw his hands up. "What can I say? You're even cuter when you're embarrassed."

Now _that_, I was not ready for. I pushed past him and stormed toward the mountain so he couldn't see my face. "Come on, we're going to be late."

Kana chuckled softly and ran to catch up.

The mountain top was packed with people, decorations and noise. Wild flowers – lavender and rare magic blue flowers – were set up around the archway and the along the fence that ran around the perimeter of the mountain top. Hiro and Reina were in special clothing; aside from flower arrangements and food preparation, they had been chosen to be the man and maid of honour. After all, Hiro was Ayame's apprentice, and Reina was Mako's niece. They were the two closest to the bride and groom.

I approached Reina, who was still fussing over the bouquets.

"You look really beautiful, Reina," I commented.

Reina looked at me blankly. "Huh? Oh… thank you. Sorry, I was thinking about something…"

I smiled; she had a reputation for appearing distracted most of the time, but I didn't mind. "You must be excited."

"Yes, it is exciting," she replied, "I like Ayame. She'll make a good wife for Mako."

A thought popped into my mind. "What are you going to do when Ayame moves in?" I asked, "Are you planning to stay at Mako's?"

Reina sighed. "Mako and Ayame made it clear that I was welcome to stay, but I don't know. I'm thinking about boarding at the Town Hall. I spend most of my time there studying books anyway."

"Well, you're welcome to crash at mine if you need to," I said, smiling as warmly as I could.

Reina smiled. She was really pretty when she did that.

I enjoyed the ceremony immensely. Joy radiated on both Mako and Ayame's faces as she walked down the 'aisle' between the crowds of people. Ayame's glossy black hair was pulled back and her porcelain skin shone.

I smiled to myself as they exchanged rings. _One day, _I thought, _I'd like to have a simple wedding just like this._

When the ceremony was over and the after party had come to an end, the sun began to set and it was time to go home. Kana and I stood leaning on the fence overlooking the side of the mountain.

"Thanks for taking me," I said quietly, "I had a really nice time with you."

Kana ran his hand through his ponytail. "Thanks for letting me," he chuckled, "I was afraid you'd go all red and turn me down flat."

I smiled as the evening breeze pushing a few stray strands of hair across my face. "I might've gone red. You'll never know; it was nearly pitch-black when you asked me."

Kana raised his eyebrows. "Seriously?"

I smiled and quickly changed the subject. "Thanks for letting me borrow Hayate the other day, too. That was a real help."

He stood up straight suddenly. "Oh crap. I was going to tell you earlier, but I totally forgot."

"What?" I asked, "Tell me what?"

Kana smacked his forehead. "I'm so sorry. One of my horses is due to give birth tonight. I have to be there right now!"

"Then go," I smiled, "I can find my way home from here."

"But that's such a jerky thing to do," he protested, "I can't just leave my date on top of a mountain at night."

"It's not night yet. Besides, there are others up here somewhere as well. I won't be completely alone," I reassured him.

Ponytail guy still looked pretty sceptical.

I laid my hand gently on his arm. "Go. Your horse needs you a lot more than I do. I'll be absolutely fine."

"… If you insist. I'm so sorry about this; I was looking forward to walking you home," he said, obviously torn.

"I'm sure there'll be other times," I said, hugging myself in the chilly air.

He brightened up a bit. "Yeah. I'll see you 'round, Lily." And he took off down the mountain.

_Lily? _No one had ever called me Lily before. _Except for… _The surprised look on my face relaxed into a smile. It had kind of a nice ring to it when he said it. _Lily._

I began to walk home through the cold. The air was thick with the scent of flowers and bushes. It had been an exciting day and I was eager to escape the nippy evening and sink into my bed. Shivering, I pulled my wrap-around shirt tighter around me. A chill went down my spine as an owl hooted above me, and I stiffened at the sound of a wild boar running around in the distance. The truth was I was terrified of being alone in the dark; but I didn't want Kana to worry.

I stopped walking and looked around me. A sickening feeling grew in my stomach as I realized nothing looked familiar at all. Was I…? No, I couldn't have been. I kept walking, quicker this time, desperate for a tree or bush that I recognised. But everything looked the same to me; nothing stood out at all. My heart pounded in my chest and I felt like I was going to faint.

And then I froze. There was someone else on the mountain. What looked like a cloaked figure was weaving its way in and out amongst the bushes. I held my breath, not daring to move and inch, as the person – or creature's – long clothing dragged along the ground, rustling up sticks and leaves. Gradually it came closer to where I stood rooted to the ground, willing my heart to be quiet. _Where's Kana when you need him?_

Then a sweet little voice pierced the silence. "Is someone there?"

I raised my eyebrow. There was no gruff voice, no beastly growl. Just a tinkly, high-pitched, sing-song noise. _Maybe it's a trap. _I remained silent, just in case, though most of my fear had been replaced by curiosity.

"Helloooo," called the voice, "Hmm, it must've been a rabbit or a mouse."

I'd had enough of this. I had to know who it was. "Can you help me?"

The figure swung around and fumbled inside its cloak. "Hold on just a moment." They lit a lantern and stepped closer. "Let's see… Who do we have here?"

I fiddled with my fingers. "I was on my way home and got lost. Who are you and what are you going here so late at night?"

The figure laughed musically and brought the lantern up to their face. I stepped back in astonishment. The person was no more than a short girl about my age with long pink curls and a baby face.

"I'm here so late at night, because I live here, silly!" she exclaimed. "I'm the Oracle, the best alchemist you'll ever meet! Who are you?"

"My name's Lillian, from Konohana," I replied, "What did you say you were? An alche- something?"

The pink haired girl giggled. "An alchemist! I mix stuff together to create new things. Come, I'll show you my lab."

She turned and began to run. Naturally I ran after her, not wanting to be lost in the darkness again. She led me deep into the woods to a building made of stone. It had intricate designs, pictures and words in a language I couldn't read etched into the front of it. The large stone door groaned as she pushed it open. To my relief, the inside was warm and colourful; I was glad to be out of the cold air.

"Welcome to my lab!" she cried, flinging her arms in the air.

I took a closer look at the Oracle. She was wearing a long, white dress with huge sleeves that covered her hands, and a deep red shawl with a big golden button to keep it in place. The girl had pretty pale skin and big magenta eyes.

"Isn't it fantastic?" she said, grinning widely.

I nodded. A big black pot sat over a white fire, and flasks of different coloured liquids dotted the shelves. "It's like a witch's house; with the big pot and potions everywhere." Wrong thing to say.

The Oracle frowned and her face went red. "I'm not a witch, and those aren't potions. They're experiments! I use science, not spells!" she fumed, "Don't you know anything?"

My eyes widened; her size may not have been threatening, but her temper certainly was. I paced the room slowly, taking in all the colour and detail.

"What kind of things do you make?"

The Oracle's anger left as quickly as it had come. "Oh, I make all kinds of useful things! I have special fertilizers to make crops grow faster and produce more, and I've created drinks that give you longer lasting stamina. Recently I've been working on an experiment to help you see in the dark easier. In fact, I was just out collecting ingredients for the finishing touches. Would you like to watch?"

"It sounds handy. Sure, I'll watch," I said. This sounded rather interesting.

After throwing a few more sticks on the fire, the little red-head hopped onto a tall barrel beside the pot and began stirring the mixture. She tossed in a couple carrots and strawberries.

"Okeydokey," she said, "Now all I need to add is the fluorite! Could you get it for me? It should be in that drawer over there."

I opened the heavy wooden drawer to find the entire thing full of pure fluorite. I gaped; pure fluorite was meant to be rare! Still gawking at the transparent stone, I carried it to the Oracle and placed it carefully into her hand. She flicked it carelessly into the pot and it landed in the mixture with a splash.

"All done!" she said cheerfully, and scooped some of the pink liquid out and into a waiting beaker, "Would you like to be the first to try it?"

I backed away. "No thanks. Are you sure it's safe?"

She giggled. "Of course it's safe, fraidy-cat! I've been researching this sorta stuff for yeeears!"

Suddenly something wasn't quite right. I wrinkled my nose. "What's that smell?"

"Oh that's just a sign that the mixtures right. Whenever I finish an experiment correctly, the entire room reeks for days! But I can't smell it anymore; I've gotten so used to it."

I held my nose; the smell was putrid!

"Come on, just give it a sip!" she begged, "Then we can go outside and test it out."

I took the beaker and guzzled the entire dose – I would do anything to get out of this stench. The Oracle watched me in amazement.

"Wow, is it that good?!" she exclaimed. I decided to let her keep thinking that.

I gulped down the night air as we left her house, escaping the overbearing stench. Never in my life had I been so excited about fresh oxygen.

"So… how is it?" the Oracle asked, squirming with anticipation.

I looked around. "Wow, I can see almost perfectly," I said, "It's like I'm wearing sunglasses on a really sunny day."

She jumped up and down, her cotton-candy curls bouncing around her shoulders. "I knew it! I knew it would work!" She ran to me and threw her arms around my neck, squeezing me half to death and surprising the crap out of me. Eventually she was satisfied that I'd been strangled enough.

"Thank you sooo much for being my guinea pig. Now you'll be able to see your way home!"

I hadn't thought of that. A panicky feeling came over me suddenly. "Do you have a clock or watch?"

She pulled a golden pocket watch from her dress. "It's just going on 2am," she said.

_Oh no!_ I thought. That only left a few hours for me to get home; I couldn't handle staying up too late, and was prone to passing out if I was awake past 4 or 5am.

"It was really cool to meet you, but I really have to get home," I explained quickly, "Thanks so much for the 'experiment'."

The Oracle pointed in the direction of Konohana and this time I found my way home with ease.


	9. Curls

I skipped down the dirt path, past the hedges and cherry trees. I had finished my chores early this morning and had time to kill. After briefly talking to Reina at the wedding a couple of weeks ago, I'd decided I would try to befriend her; we shy types had to stick together.

Arriving at her front door, I stared up at the huge house. Both Mako and Reina were experts on plants and trees, so I wasn't surprised to see that the entire house was built around a tall, thick tree. It's twisting top branches poked out of the roof of their home. A couple potted plants and an old wagon wheel sat beside the door and a small sapling of a tree grew nearby, but that was nothing compared to the trees in Mako's orchard in the fenced area beside their house. I hoped I would have an orchard just as big one day.

In the quiet of the morning, a pair of hushed voices could be heard inside the house. Instead of knocking on the door, I rudely decided to put my ear up against it. I could just make out little parts of what the voices were saying.

"If it continues… maybe we'll need some help…" the first voice was deep and gruff. I assumed it was Mako.

"… really not what I want. Let's just keep…" the second voice was softer and feminine. _Reina or Ayame?_ I thought.

"It'll be alright… all the time in the world…" said Mako.

The female sniffed. "… suppose you're right…"

Then I heard shuffling and "… I'll be in the orchard."

Before I could react, the door swung open and I teetered forward, struggling to stay on my feet. This time my butt was spared and I landed on my hands and knees.

"Oh my goodness! Are you alright, kiddo?" cried the feminine voice, and I found myself being helped to my feet by Ayame.

I gulped guiltily and I could feel my face heating up.

Mako stepped forward, while Ayame kept a worried arm around my back. "Lillian, was it? What business do you have here?"

"Mako! Don't be so rude," Ayame scolded, "Don't pay any attention to him, Lily. How can we help you?"

_Lily._ There it was again. The nickname was beginning to grow on me. Maybe it would be okay if other people began to use it as well…

"I – I came to see Reina," I said, trying to act like I hadn't been eavesdropping, "Is she home?"

Mako threw his head back and laughter boomed from deep within him. "Well, why didn't you say so? There was no need to wait so long at the door."

I froze. _Had they known I was there all along? _I guessed they hadn't minded then; it mustn't have been anything juicy they had been talking about.

Ayame smiled. "Reina's upstairs. Let me go get her for you."

"Oh, no it's okay. I can go upstairs and get her," I smiled back, not wanting them to go to any trouble for someone who had just been listening in on their conversation.

"Alright, kiddo. I'll be at the clinic if you need me."

Reina's room was beautiful. There were unusual plants and flowers everywhere; I felt like I was in the middle of the forest. But as interesting as the room was, there was no Reina in sight.

"Reina, it's Lillian," I called, "Are you in here?"

A clattering sound came from behind the far wall. "I'm in here!"

I followed the sound of her voice and found a small doorway in the wall. I walked through, ducking so as not to hit my head, and found myself in a cosy room with a table, a couple book cases and a huge carnivorous plant. The table was covered in plant samples, and Reina was looking at one through a microscope.

"What are you up to today?" I asked, steering clear of the carnivorous plant and resting my hands on the table.

Reina didn't take her attention off the plant sample. "I'm studying a rare plant that grows on the mountain."

I stifled a yawn. "How long will that take?"

"It's a long term experiment," she explained, "I can stop and start whenever I like."

I brightened up a bit. "In that case, why don't we hang out for a bit today?"

Reina looked up. "Hang out? With you?"

"Yeah," I said, smiling, "I finished todays work early, so I have a lot of free time."

She looked at the ground and one of her long braids fell over her shoulder. "I don't know. I'm not very good company…"

"Aw, don't give me that," I said, "Come on, we could go to the Tea House, or visit Nori, or-"

"How about we go for a walk in the mountain? I can teach you how to herb-hunt," she interrupted.

I had had quite enough of the mountain, but "Herb-hunt?" I asked, suddenly curious.

Reina smiled. "There are all kinds of herbs and other little treasures on the mountain. You just have to know where to look."

Before long I was staggering after Reina as she walked swiftly up the mountain, her short, loose curls bouncing, and her three dark braids swishing across her back below them. She was unusually fit for someone who spent most of their time indoors with their nose in a book.

"Are we nearly there?" I called, pausing to catch my breath.

Reina kept walking. "Just a little further."

We crossed an old stone bridge that ran over a deep river.

"Alright, now we just need to jump down here," she said absent-mindedly, climbing down a steep hill.

I slid down after her; thankfully I had kept my chore clothes on, so the big dirt stain on my pants from the slide didn't bother me too much.

Reina led me under the bridge we had crossed and I heard myself gasp. A beautiful spout of water flowed from a crack in the rock wall and into the clear sapphire river.

_Wow,_ I mouthed, as I followed her.

We stopped right next to the waterfall, and a few sprays of cold, refreshing water landed on my face, making me blink in surprise.

"This is one of my usual herb-hunting spots," she said, pointing to another crack in the rocks, "Best part if that sometimes you can find ore in here. Copper, silver, sometimes even gold if you're lucky enough."

She reached her hand inside and pulled out an assortment of objects. She examined the contents in her hand.

"Bad luck today," she said, pouting, "I only found a shiitake and some mint. And a branch. But no ore."

I stared in amazement. I had no idea that random things were hiding in the mountain. I would definitely use this 'herb-hunting' activity often. It was sure to make cooking meals a whole lot easier.

"But this," she began, holding out the stick, "This is completely useless, unless you chop it into lumber. I don't want it."

I took the branch in my hands. I didn't have any use for lumber at the moment. Reaching it back behind my head, I prepared to throw it into the river.

"No-wait!" Reina cried.

But it was too late. _Plop!_ The branch floated along the current. I turned to Reina, who had her arms crossed.

"What?" I asked defensively, "You said you didn't need it."

"I don't. But you should never EVER under any circumstance throw something in the river," she warned, "The wildlife around here need that water to survive. If the river becomes polluted, the animals will get mad."

I stared. "Really?"

Reina nodded. "They do. They get really angry. If I were you, I'd keep an eye out for any wild boar or bears for the rest of the day."

Reina let me have the mushroom and mint, and after pocketing them we headed to the next 'herb-hunting' hotspot. This time Reina showed me a hollow tree stump.

"Tree stumps are the best places to look if you want quality herbs," she said, feeling around inside it.

This time her hand returned with a yellow plant. "This is chamomile. You can use it in a variety of recipes and it makes good tea. I use it a lot at home."

"Speaking of 'home', have you sorted our whether you'll be staying at Mako's or not?" I asked, "You really are welcome at my house if it doesn't work out."

Reina smiled. "I talked with them, and I decided that I'd stick around for a while until they have a child of their own."

I grinned widely. "So they're already trying for a kid?"

"Yep. They both really want a family as soon as possible," Reina said, smiling wistfully.

"That must be exciting for you," I commented, "Soon you'll have little cousins to run around after!"

"Yeah… I might not be very sociable most of the time, but I sorta have a soft spot for children," she said, blushing slightly.

We both escaped into our own thoughts for a while, until a familiar growl shattered the silence. My eyes shot open as that big brown bear from before skulked around in the distance. It seemed to be searching for something. Backing away, I accidentally stepped on a danged leaf, and it crunched loudly under my shoe. _How cliché, _I thought. The bears ears pricked up and it looked in my direction. I stood stock-still.

"Reina," I whispered out of the corner of my mouth, "Run. Now."

Reina snapped out of her daydream and immediately say the danger we were both in.

"I don't understand," I continued to whisper, "I was friends with this same bear just the other day."

Reina's eyes widened. "It was that branch! Remember, you threw it into the water. The bear must be looking for revenge."

I smacked my forehead. "Oh, crap."

The bear began walking in our direction.

"Run, Reina. Get out of here," I yelled.

She didn't need to be told twice – and neither did the bear. I stood frozen on the spot as he began galloping at full speed toward me. When Reina was safely out of harm's way, she turned back to see where I was.

"Lillian, what are you doing? Run!" she screamed uncharacteristically loud.

I tried to run, but my feet were frozen in fear. I looked around for something – anything – I could use to defend myself. Nothing.

Giving up, I closed my eyes and braced myself.

Cam wasn't there to save me this time.


	10. Red

I woke up in an unfamiliar, stiff bed surrounded by blurry faces. _Where am I?_ I tried to sit up, but a sharp pain pulsed through my head. A gentle hand pushed me back down.

"Don't try to get up," a rather high, but male voice said, "That bear hit you rather hard apparently."

I relaxed. _Of course. I'm only in the clinic, _I thought, _No need to panic._ Rubbing my eyes, I looked around the room. The one who had spoken was Hiro. Kana and Yun were standing behind him, with worried looks on their faces.

"Where's Reina?" I asked loudly, still not fully understanding the situation.

Hiro felt my forehead. "Reina is right as rain. She has gone home with Mako." He left the room. "Dr Ayame, the patient has awoken."

I held my head. The room was spinning. "Mako?"

Yun stepped forward and took my hand. "That's right. He carried you to the clinic and Reina told us everything that had happened. You're a very lucky girl. If Mako hadn't turned up when he did, you'd be a lot worse for wear."

Confused, I looked at Kana drowsily. He looked upset and when I caught his eye he looked away quickly.

Hiro returned with Ayame, who carried a bottle with her. "How are you feeling?" she asked, smiling weakly, "To think, you were absolutely fine this morning."

I shrugged. "I feel dizzy, and my head hurts like crazy."

She nodded. "Just as I thought. You have a bit of concussion. Take some of this, it should dull the pain a little," she said, filling a small cup with the contents of the bottle she had brought with her.

I drank the liquid reluctantly. "Can I have some water, please?" I gasped when I had finished; the medicine tasted foul.

Hiro poured me a glass of cool water from a jug nearby and handed it over. I drank it quickly, hiccupping after the last mouthful.

Ayame stifled a giggle. "Now, concussion may not feel very good, kiddo, but you're going to be absolutely fine after a little more rest. Stay here a couple hours and then we'll see how you are."

She turned to the others three in the room. "Alright, you lot – scram! Lily needs her rest, so no more visitors today. You too, Hiro."

Yun laid a reassuring hand on my arm. "If you're feeling good enough to leave, come over to my place. Dinners on me; I don't want you fussing around a kitchen when you need to relax."

"That's a good idea, Yun," said Ayame, "How about you help her home afterward, Hiro?"

"I'll do that!" blurted Kana, who had been strangely quiet until then.

All eyes fell on him and he turned a lovely shade of red. Even I, in my blurry state of mind, was now at attention.

"I'll do it… I'll help her home," he said, a little more quietly.

"Well okay," said Ayame, breaking the awkward silence, "I suppose it doesn't matter who helps her home. But as I said, you'll all need to leave and let her rest now."

One by one, they said goodbye, wished me well, and left – all but Kana. He lingered in the doorway and opened and shut his mouth as if he wanted to say something. In the end he just smiled sadly and walked out.

When everyone had gone, I reached onto the table beside me for another glass of water and accidentally bumped something off. Without looking, I reached down and felt around for whatever had fallen. Bringing it back up, I saw that it was a folded up piece of paper with my own name on it. Curious, I opened it up and read it;

"Hey Lillian,

I'm really sorry about what happened while we were out today. I wish I could've done something to prevent it. When the bear knocked you out, I screamed and luckily Mako was in the mountain doing a little herb-hunting himself and came running. When he saw what was happening, he beat the bear off with his bare hands and carried you back to the clinic. I have to go home and let you rest now, but I want you to know that besides the bear incident, I really enjoyed 'hanging out' with you. Come visit again sometime.

Hope you feel better soon.

-Reina"

I smiled, despite the pain in my head. It seemed I had made a new friend.

The remaining hours of the afternoon passed slowly and boringly. But the medicine worked well, so by the time Kana came by to walk me to Yun's I was feeling a lot better. He seemed to have improved too.

"Hey Lily!" he cried as he burst through the door to the clinic, "Feeling better? I hope you're up for some tasty food at Yun's tonight!"

I swung around in Ayame's office chair; I had spent the last half hour chilling behind the clinic's front counter with her and Hiro.

"I am, don't worry," I said cheerfully, a little high from the medication, "These two wouldn't let me leave until you got here."

Ayame put up her hands in defence. "Hey, I wasn't about to let anything else happen to you, kiddo."

"She's right, Lily," Kana said solemnly, "And think, what would've happened If you'd turned up at Yun's without me? Imagine the scolding you would have had to endure."

I sighed. "But I feel much better. Just because my head hurts little, doesn't mean I'm incapable of looking after myself."

"Look at it this way then. If you'd arrived at Yun's before me, I wouldn't have been able to escort you there," he said, feigning a posh British accent at the end.

I laughed as he bowed and offered me his arm. Linking my arm in his, we turned and walked like idiots to the door. I glanced quickly back at a grinning Ayame before we left, and she winked at me. Before I could tell her off, Kana whisked me out the door and down the moonlit path to Yun's.

Yun had prepared an absolute feast!

"I hope I've made enough for three and a half," Yun said, ruffling Ying's hair.

"Enough?" I exclaimed, "After this, you'll be eating leftovers for a week!"

Yun laughed. "Nonsense, dear. You take home the leftovers. I can make this food whenever I like."

I frowned. "That's too kind, Yun, I couldn't-"

"Hush, dear. The foods getting cold, so come and eat," she said, brushing aside my protests.

Instead of eating in the restaurant, Yun lead us to the home in the back room that she and Ying shared. She had set up a dining table and I was happy to see that they had real chairs this time. When we had all the food on the table, Yun pointed out our chairs. Kana, still playing the role of English gentleman, pulled my chair out for me.

"Take a seat, ma'am," he said, somehow managing to keep a straight face.

"Why thank you, kind sir," I replied, lifting the skirts of my imaginary dress as I sat down.

Ying giggled at us. "You two are funny. You should come for dinner more often."

Kana sat down opposite from me and we grinned at each other.

"Alright, let's dig in!" said Yun.

After thanking the Harvest Goddess for the meal, Yun, who was to the right of me, spoke up.

"So how are you feeling now, dear?"

I swallowed and paused. "My head still hurts a little, but I can see clearly now… and walk in a straight line. I'm really grateful for your help. Having good company to distract me from my headache is exactly what I needed."

Yun smiled. "Well I'm glad to hear it. You've had the whole village worried."

I blushed. "The whole village? Really?"

Kana laughed. "Word gets 'round pretty quickly when everyone's close," he said.

"Well I'm sorry I scared everybody," I said, sinking into my seat.

"Don't be," Yun said, "It just means everybody likes you."

"I… I like you too," Ying added.

I smiled and looked down at my plate. What a wonderful community I had found. I couldn't imagine being happier than I was now.

Then his face popped into my thoughts; his deep blue eyes and his ginger mop of hair that hung over them. For a split second my chest ached even more than my head did. As the cheerful chatter carried on without me, a single warm tear escaped my eye and rolled down my nose, dripping off the tip and into my plate. _Caleb,_ I mouthed silently.

"It was so nice to have you two," called Yun as Kana and I disappeared into the night air.

"Come back soon, Lily!" said Ying softly, "You too Kana."

I turned and waved wildly as the two tiny figures got even smaller. When they were out of sight I turned back around and breathed in the warm breeze. I glanced over at Kana, who was carrying the huge amount of food Yun had given me, and smiled.

"I can carry some of that, if you want," I offered.

Kana smirked at me. "No way. Hiro told me to make sure you didn't do any hard work for at least a week."

"So you've been scheming behind my back then?" I said, putting my hands on my hips. _Where had this confidence come from? Was the medicine doing stuff to my brain?_

"Believe it or not, but Hiro and I are close buddies," Kana said, "I totally respect him. He's such a nice guy to everyone. I wish I could be more like him."

"You don't think you're nice? Trust me Kana, you're as nice as it gets," I said truthfully.

He paused. "Wow. You sound like you totally mean it."

"Of course I mean it!" I cried, "I don't like to flatter people, unlike you."

Kana chuckled. "You think when I'm complimenting you, I'm only trying to flatter you?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

I nodded. "Yes, I do."

"You need to cut yourself some slack, Lily," he said, "You're a better person than you believe you are."

As we neared my house, I saw that my animals hadn't been put to sleep in the barn. I headed in their direction.

"Wh-Where are you going?"

"I'm putting my animals in the barn for the night," I called, "The front door should be unlocked, just let yourself in. I'll be right there."

My cow mooed angrily as I shoved him through the barn door, and my hen hadn't seemed too happy to be woken from her slumber either. Patting my hands on my shirt, I headed back to my house.

It was lovely and warm inside, but my blood ran cold when I saw what Kana was doing.

"Is this your family?" he asked politely as he looked over the photographs on my wall, "They look nice – Hey, Lily, are you okay?"

I had forgotten about those pictures. If I had known Kana was going to be coming, I would have taken them down.

"I'm fine," I said lamely, "Yeah… that's my family."

He turned back to study the largest picture. "Those two at the back must be your parents, right? And that little girl, that's you, yeah? Then who's that ginger kid? He doesn't seem to fit with that bright red hair of his, though he has your mother's eyes."

I stiffened. "He's my brother. Caleb."

Kana laughed. "I like his hair. That is some awesome hair."

"Stop it," I said, clenching my fists and staring blankly at the ground, "Stop making fun of him."

He immediately stopped laughing and stared at me, surprised. "I'm sorry, Lily. Did I say something wrong?"

An angry tear splattered the ground in front of my feet. "You don't know him. Don't you dare make fun of him," I said quietly, but loud enough for Kana to hear.

Kana gingerly stepped forward. "I… I didn't mean to hurt your feelings, Lily. I'm totally sorry."

I didn't reply, only let the rest of my tears flow freely as they had been wanting to all week. Poor Kana stood there, unsure of what was going on.

I sniffed. "I'm sorry. I'm not mad at you," was all my shaky voice could manage.

He should have left. He should have turned and walked out of my house. Any normal person would have.

But as I stood there, my shoulders quivering and my soggy hair strewn across my face, I felt a pair of arms slowly close around me. Softly at first, as though I would shatter at the slightest touch, and then firmly and protectively. My fists stayed clenched by my sides and I cried silently into his warm sweater.

After several minutes of my pitiful display, I stepped back and wiped the tears from my face, ashamed of myself.

"I'm sorry. That was uncalled for," I said, laughing at myself.

Kana smiled. "No, it's totally okay. Everyone needs a good cry every once in a while. Doesn't matter what it's about."

I folded my arms awkwardly, and he scratched the back of his head.

"Well, I had better be going now," he said.

"Yeah, okay."

I showed Kana out and stood in the doorway as he walked away. Suddenly he paused and turned to face me.

"What is it?" I asked, "Is something wrong?"

He smiled. "Oh, it's nothing," he replied and continued to walk.

When he had reached the entrance to my farm, he turned around again and yelled something. I frowned; _what was he saying?_

"What was that?" I yelled back.

He cupped his hands around his mouth and tried again, louder this time. "I said, 'you'll be my girlfriend, right?'"

I laughed to myself and leaned against the door frame. _So that's what's been on his mind all day._

I took a deep breath and shouted back. "Of course I will!"

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Note: Yeah I'm sorry about the last part. It came out a little cheesy haha. Review's welcomed!


	11. Ruined

**Hey guys, so sorry for taking so long. I've been writing a whole bunch of new chapters. But I've only just gotten around to actually typing them up haha**

**I hope you like the new chapter! I appreciate reviews! xo**

* * *

For the next few days Kana barely left my side. He insisted on helping me with my chores because "Hiro told me to". I was glad for his help, but I felt bad that he was working so hard on something that I should've been doing.

Finally he told me he couldn't help anymore because one of his horses had fallen ill.

"She needs constant attention," he had explained.

Though I was relieved that he wouldn't be working himself to the bone anymore, his horse couldn't have fallen ill at a worse time.

While feeding my animals one morning, I noticed to my alarm that I had completely run out of feed. I would have to stay another night in Bluebell next door to Mikhail. Sighing, I packed a bag and dragged myself to Kana's.

Kana was inside the stable, washing the feverish horse down with a wet cloth. I sat on the stalls gate and explained the situation.

"What bad timing. Man, this is weak! Any other time I would've come with you so I could get rid of that white-haired freak," he moaned, "But as you can see…"

I nodded. "I guess I'll just have to toughen up."

Kana looked at me with concern. "Are you sure you can't put it off a couple days?"

"My animals need to eat, Kana," I Sighed, "There could be a week of rain and I wouldn't be able to put them out to graze. I really need to buy this feed."

"Well, have you asked around for spare feed? I'm sure anyone in Konohana would be happy to share," he suggested.

"Now you're just making excuses. You know as well as I do that I'm the only person in Konohana with animals."

Kana huffed. "I can't let you go. Mikhail seems like a pretty unstable guy, and when guys are unstable they'll do anything. They're totally unpredictable."

I hopped down from the gate and stroked the horses' nose. "You don't need to worry too much about me. Bluebell is full of nice people, and the mayor and his wife are just upstairs from the room I'll stay in. I'm sure they'll help me, if I get myself into trouble."

"I really don't like this, but okay. Taka Hayate again, she'll take care of you," he said.

After saddling Hayate and hugging Kana goodbye, I started up the mountain. I purposely travelled slowly, so that I arrived late in the evening. I put Hayate in the stable for the night and signed myself in, all the while keeping a sharp eye out for a tall figure with a long, brown trench coat. And just when I thought I had successfully avoided him, his door opened and he walked out.

"Ah, I thought I had heard a familiar, beautiful voice," he said innocently, just as I was opening my door.

"Hi Mikhail," I said flatly, "You know, I was hoping for an early nigh tonight, so I don't have time for chatting."

"Oh? Is my delicate little flower tired after coming all this way? You had better get your beauty sleep then," he said, not batting an eye.

"Excuse me? _Your_ delicate little flower?" I said, raising my voice slightly in anger. "Well I'm sorry to burst your bubble, but I'm afraid I am no longer single."

Mikhail's face fell. "You... You have a new man in your life now?"

I frowned. "What do you mean a 'new man'? I didn't have a man in the first place."

"Don't pretend like you have no idea what I'm talking about," he scolded.

"Well that's just it," I said stiffly, "I have absolutely no idea whatsoever what you're talking about. Now if you'll excuse me, I'd like to go to bed."

And before he could reply, I closed the door behind me and bolted it shut. I sunk down onto the carpet. Talking to that madman was exhausting. I had begun to think that maybe Kana was right about Mikhail being unstable. He acted like a man who'd lost his mind. No matter what I told him, he seemed to genuinely believe that we had something going on. His infatuation with me was scary.

That night I had another awful dream.

This time I was in a shop. Caleb was there in his wheelchair, but this time he was hanging from a rope above a deep hole in the ground. I searched desperately through the shelves, sending tins and packets flying in all directions. I didn't know what I was looking for, but I did know that I couldn't find it anywhere.

"Please, Lily, you have to hurry," Caleb said in a panicked voice.

I turned to console him and to my horror, saw that the rope was beginning to break. Hurriedly, I turned back to the shelves and continued throwing things off in an attempt to find what I was looking for.

"Lily, the rope is snapping!" he cried.

Tears streamed down my face, but it only made searching harder. A sickening crack echoed through the shop and I turned around. Caleb was nowhere to be seen. Screaming, I ran to the hole in the ground to see Caleb's wheelchair falling into the darkness.

I woke up in hysterics. My pillow was drenched and my body was sticky with sweat. It took a few minutes before I was calm enough to breathe properly, and even then I was badly shaken. But then I heard a knock on the door and the tears returned.

"Who is it?" I called, trying to sound normal and frantically cleaning myself up.

"It's me, Mikhail."

I had had enough. I seriously could not handle this right now. "Go away or I'll scream," I yelled, my voice hoarse.

"Calm yourself," he said patiently, "I have only come to inform you that I am leaving for a while. I do not particularly enjoy the summer heat, so as summer is just around the corner, I have decided to leave to find a place with a cooler climate. But don't fret, I will return in the fall."

Relief flooded my being and I sunk back into my bed. I didn't owe him a reply, he could stay outside my door as long as he wanted, but there was no way I was going to talk to him. Eventually, I heard the clomping of his shoes as he walked away.

"I look forward to seeing you next season, Lillian."

"Good riddance," I hissed to myself.

I felt a huge weight lifted from my shoulders and after checking to see that he was really gone, I decided to head to Howard's Cafe for a quick drink to settle me down before I did anything further.

I ordered the first drink they had on the menu – which happened to be herb tea – and, desperate to tell someone about my situation, blurted the whole Mikhail story to Howard. He turned out to be the best person to talk to, he was known for being a fantastic listener and always keen for a good gossip.

"Wow girl! It sounds like you've got yourself a stalker," he said, putting his hands on his cheeks and blushing like a giddy schoolgirl.

"Yep. Boy, I sure can't wait for autumn," I said sarcastically, "I think he's successfully ruined my favourite season."

"If you feel uncomfortable staying at the Town Hall, you could always stay here," offered Laney, who had been eavesdropping while she baked, "My room is big enough for two. It would be just like a sleepover!"

"It's kind of you to offer, but I'm okay for the time being," I said, smiling and sipping my tea.

Just then the bell above the door rang and someone stepped in.

"Morning, Ash!" cried Laney cheerily, "What would you like today?"

I turned around in my chair to see a boyish-looking young man walking to the counter. He had very straight, golden hair that fell about his face, and suspenders holding up his pants. His eyes were a beautiful, bright blue. "Hey, I'll have the doria, please." He smiled brightly.

_Funny, _I thought, _I swear I've seen him before._

"Alright, one doria coming up!" Laney replied, "Have you met Ash yet?" She turned to me.

Ash looked at me and recognition washed over his soft, youthful features. "Oh, I know you. You're Lillian, right? We met at my mother's shop, Jessica's Livestock."

It all came flooding back to me. "Oh, yes! I remember. It's nice to meet you a second time," I giggled.

"Do you have free time today?" Laney asked, turning back to him.

"It's Wednesday, Laney." Ash laughed.

Laney smacked her forehead. "Oh, duh. Your whole family has a day off on Wednesday. Gosh, I'm acting like such a ditz today!"

I almost choked on my tea. "Does that mean your mother's shop is closed?" I practically yelled, getting up from my seat and gripping the edge of the table.

Ash nodded. "I'm afraid so."

I sank back into my seat. My animals were going to go a whole day without food, just because the stupid store was closed. I'd have to stay an extra night. _Oh well,_ I thought, _at least Mikhail's gone._

I spent the rest of the day sulking in the café and drinking cup after cup of herb tea. At first Howard and Laney – even Cam on his lunch break – tried to cheer me up with casual conversation, but eventually they gave up and left me to myself. I was in no mood to talk anyway.

Evening came and soon it was time to close the café. "You can stay if you want, Lillian, but there won't be any tea for sale," Laney offered softly.

But I had long worn my welcome, and decided to walk back to the Town Hall. I was halfway across the town square when I heard a voice call my name. I turned to see Dirk, the mailman who had recently moved to Konohana and had taken up residence across the road from my farm. He was jogging towards me.

Breathless, he began to speak. "I have a message from… Kana. He… wants to know… why you haven't returned yet. He's worried about you."

I hung my head and my shoulders slumped. _I knew this was coming._

"Tell him I'm fine, that I was delayed, and that I'll be home tomorrow," I said, "Thanks Dirk."

"Hey, no problem," he said, smiling, "To tell you the truth, I was a little worried too. Everyone knows what a pain that creepy violinist is to you."

I sighed. "Well it's okay now. He's gone away for the summer. I hope he goes far away and never returns."

Dirk snapped his fingers. "Speaking of faraway places, a letter came for you." He reached into his bag and pulled out a wrinkled, yellowed envelope. "I gotta run. I'll tell you Kana what you said. Have a good evening!"

Curious, I turned the envelope over in my hands. It looked like it had travelled a long way to get here. I hurried the rest of the way to Town Hall, eager to open up the letter. When I was finally alone in my room, I ripped it open.

_Dear Lillian,_

_Thank you so much for the last couple of pay packets you sent in your last letter. You're doing such a good job; it's really helping a lot! But I have some bad news, honey. Recently Caleb has gone into a coma and Dr Trent says it's only a matter of time before… you know. But we're still hoping for a miracle, and your payments are going to good use helping to pay for all the doctors' bills and research._

_I hope you're doing well, Lillian. We love you and miss you._

_Love, Mum and Dad, xo_

The letter floated out of my trembling hand and I crumpled into a heap on the floor.


	12. Weak

The trip back to Konohana the next day passed in a blur. I hadn't slept very well the night before, so I felt like a zombie. That is to say, I barely had any emotions at all. All I felt was an unbearable ache in my chest that threatened to burst at any moment into an extreme breakdown. I hated being like this. For a while I had been doing so well; I had a successful farm up and running, a smile on my face, and even a bunch of new friends. But the past few days had taken it right out of me, and the letter from my parents was just the icing on the cake.

I went for days, and then weeks like that. Weighed down by the pressure to pay for Caleb's treatment and research, I spent all my time at the farm. I threw myself head-first into back-breaking labour, despite Ayame's warnings. Even if I had wanted to socialize, I didn't have any energy left for it by the end of each day. It was bad for my health and I knew it, but I had gotten to the point where I didn't care anymore. I had turned myself into a machine that was only capable of working, sleeping, and eating. Eating? Yeah, you could hardly call it eating. By the end of just one week, I had lost a tremendous amount of weight. I was headed down a bitter path leading to my own destruction.

I woke up panting one morning after another emotional nightmare. It was earlier than usual, but I heaved my skinny self out of bed anyway, knowing that I wouldn't be able to go back to sleep. _The sooner I finish work, _I thought, _the sooner I can go back to bed._ Putting on my slippers, I shuffled across the cold, wooden floor into the kitchen to brew some tea. The win was especially noisy, but I ignored it and settled back to drink my pre-chore tea. It was the only luxury I allowed myself, because it gave me time to wake up before getting to work. I finished my drink quickly, scalding my tongue as the hot liquid slid down my throat.

When I had dressed myself, I wandered to the front door. I turned the rusty door handle and to my surprise, a huge gust of wind and rain hurtled past me into my house. Panicking, I leaned against the door and pushed with the little strength I had in me. It took a while, but eventually I heard it click shut and I sat on the floor, breathless. I couldn't work in this weather, no matter how reckless I might've been.

I tuned into the radio, hoping for a better weather forecast. The station was crackly, but I managed to catch the word "typhoon". I sighed. _This is the last thing I need, _I thought as I turned and dragged myself back to the table. Sinking into the hard wooden chair, I laid my head over the back of it and closed my heavy eyelids. What was I going to do all day? I had been working hard so that I could pay for Caleb's medicine bills faster. But deep down, I knew the real reason was that I was keeping my mind busy so I didn't have time to think. So I didn't have time to feel. The thought of an entire day of nothing scared me.

I tried to think of work, of my animals, even of the mountain, but no matter how I tried, Caleb's face was always there. I couldn't push him out of my mind. It was like he was haunting me.

After hours of this, I couldn't take it anymore. I leapt from my chair, cursing loudly, and with one solid kick, my chair was on the opposite side of the room. My table came next, then my shelves, and my bed sheets. I tore all the books out of my bookcase and scattered my kitchen utensils across the floor. Finally, my rampage led me to the photographs on my wall. One by one, I smashed them on the floor. But when I came to the large one of my family, I couldn't do it. I sank to the ground and surveyed the wreckage. Strangely, my torn up house gave me a sense of peace, and my anger faded away until I was only a broken mess. I clutched my arms around my cold, clammy knees and curled up into a soggy ball on the hard wooden floorboards, shivering. I don't know how long I sat there.

Suddenly an explosion of air and rain burst into my room, but it stopped as quickly as it had started. I heard footsteps, but I didn't look up; I already knew who it was.

"Hi Kana," I mumbled into my knees pathetically, my voice barely above a whisper.

I could tell by his silence that he was looking around at the mess I had made. Then I heard the sound of furniture being pushed around, and I looked up. "What are you doing?" I asked sleepily; my rant had taken all my energy from me.

He looked at me as he flipped my table the right way up. "I'm cleaning up. What does it look like? … Did you do all this?"

I didn't answer, only tried to lift myself to my feet. I winced in pain and looked down at my legs; they were black and blue from all the kicking. I guess bruises came easily when you didn't have much meat to protect your bones.

"Stay there," Kana said calmly, "You just let me do this, and then we'll get you something to eat."

So I watched silently as he picked up all my mess and set my furniture the right way up. He did it with ease; he had built up muscle from all his hard work with his horses. I giggled softly as his hood fell over his head when he bent down to pick up my shattered picture frames.

"Careful," I said quietly, "There's glass on the floor from those frames."

Finally, he swept up the broken glass and placed the photo of my family – the only survivor of my attack – on the table. He patted his hands on his pants and turned to face me. "Lily, why aren't you wearing more clothes?" Kana exclaimed, seeing my thin, short-sleeved cotton dress, "There's a typhoon outside, you're going to catch your death!"

I shivered in response as he went to take the duvet off my bed. "Here," he said rather grumpily, "Wrap this around yourself." He helped me to my feet and I pulled the warm duvet around me. With the last little bit of strength I had left, I walked barefoot across the room and fell face down on my bed.

Kana laughed rather awkwardly and sat me up against the wall. "Heck, I feel like a babysitter," he said, "You need to take better care of yourself, Lily."

I sighed. "I'm sorry. You don't have to help me. I'm sure your horses need special care in this weather."

He folded his arms across his chest. "I can't just let you sit here and go crazy."

"So you're staying?" I asked, "I think I've lost all my dignity in a few short minutes."

"Don't worry about it," he said, offering me a sad smile, "I really don't mind at all."

I gazed wistfully across the room at my brother's face, trapped inside the picture frame. Outside a wolf howled in the raging storm, searching in vain for shelter. My stomach growled obnoxiously, pulling my thoughts back to my body.

"One helping of spicy curry coming up," Kana said enthusiastically, picking up an old apron and tying it around his waist.

My eyelids flew open. "B-but I don't… I don't really like spicy foods," I argued, "They hurt my tongue."

He stuck his head into one of my chipped cupboards and fumbled around with pots and pans. "C'mon, it'll be good for you! You need your strength."

I sighed and leant my back against the wall; I didn't have much fight left in me. Spicy curry was going to have to do.

"So tell me about yourself, Lily," Kana began, filling a pot with water and setting it on the stove, "I've known you for ages now, but I don't know much about you."

I stared at my pale toes, which were sticking out from beneath the duvet, and wiggled them. "There isn't much to know. I was born and raised in a rather sheltered environment on a small island. My parents were madly in love when they married and had my older brother and I, and still are. I grew up in a closely knit community much like this one."

Kana poured rice into the bubbling pot and put the lid on, then sat on the chair and turned to face me. Being a typical horse-obsessed man, he straddled the chair backward and rested his arms on the top of its back. "So you were happy then?" he asked, resting his chin on his arms.

I nodded. "Life was perfect."

"Until?"

I looked at him. "What do you mean 'until'?"

"Well I'm guessing something crazy awful must've happened, or you probably wouldn't be here. Am I right?"

I didn't reply, only sunk deeper into the warmth of my mattress, gathering the duvet tighter around me. _I couldn't possibly tell him about Caleb… could I?_

"Hey, it's totally okay," he said, starting to get back up, "You don't have to tell me."

_Should I tell him? _Maybe it would be good to get it off my chest. But then again – what if I broke down again and it got awkward? _Pfft, it's not like it could get any worse than this._ Kana's footsteps seemed to be in slow motion as I argued with myself in my head. Each step felt like a year. _He's helped you more than you ever could have expected from someone, Lillian, _I thought, _The least you could do is explain why you're being such a burden in the first place._

"Wait," I whispered, "I'll tell you. It's okay."

Kana paused mid-step and returned to his chair. All was quiet, except for the bubbling of the boiling rice, and the distant howling of the wind.

I took a deep breath and let it out, watching the fog roll past my pale lips and disappear into the air. "We were all really happy. The family farm was prospering, the island was gaining popularity, and the community was alive and buzzing with energy. Everything was pretty much perfect for my family." I paused, closing my tired eyes. "Caleb and I used to help out on the farm a lot; Dad and I worked with the animals mostly, and he and Mum looked after the crops. Caleb, like my dad, was a really strong, healthy guy, but one day about three years ago he collapsed while out in the fields." I tried to swallow the massive lump that was forming in my throat. "The doctor dismissed it as being just a one-off thing, but it continued to happen at random, and he gradually grew weaker and weaker. Nobody really understood what was going on, so the doctors could only stand by and watch. Eventually Caleb could no longer work and he began to get tired really easily, so he stayed inside most of the time. And then… then he was too weak to walk and he needed a wheelchair to get around. Doctors began to do research on Caleb's illness, and soon the bills were piling up. That's when I saw an advertisement for a cheap farm and I showed it to my parents. They were reluctant to send me away, but we needed the extra cash desperately, so in the end they gave in. And now… well, now I'm here." I opened my eyes and looked down at my feet again.

"Wow, Lily," Kana said quietly, "That's some heavy stuff. I'm really sorry."

I felt surprisingly good after my little speech; like a heavy load had been lifted off my back. I stretched my skinny arms above my head. I was proud to have kept my composure throughout the whole thing, and it had only left me with slightly damp eyes. But Kana saw through my bluff.

"You've left something out, haven't you?"

I looked at him in surprise and then glanced away quickly, avoiding his gaze as tears tickled my eyes.

"You can tell me," he whispered gently.

Warm, salty liquid spilled down over my cheeks and my voice grew shaky. "The doctors who were researching Caleb's condition didn't get very far, but they told us that the illness had been heard of very few times in the past. It was very rare, but it had turned out to be fatal every time." I hiccupped, and the rest of my words came out uncontrolled and rushed. "They said that we would know when the time was near, because he would fall into a coma. Kana, a letter came from my parents the last time I was in Bluebell. Caleb is in a coma, and he only has a couple of months left to live!"

Ponytail guy rose from his chair and stood in the middle of my small, cold house with his arms outstretched. With a sudden burst of energy that wasn't there previously, I launched from my bed and with my hair flying and tears rolling down my face, stumbled into his warm embrace.

I had finally let myself feel again.


	13. Summer

Summer came and with it, a new frame of mind. I was still worried sick about Caleb, but I stopped pushing the feeling away and instead, I showed more emotion. I cried when I needed to cry, and I laughed guiltlessly when I needed to laugh. I could think about Caleb now without having a breakdown. And I blossomed in my new relationship with ponytail guy.

But although the summer sun put the colour back into my skin, I was still physically weak. I had starved myself, and worked myself much too hard. I had told Kana and myself that I would build my strength back up, but after two weeks and no results, he insisted I visit the Konohana clinic.

It was a very sunny Friday, and Konohana was bustling with activity. The air tasted sweet and the constant humming of cicadas warmed my soul, leaving me smiling happily to myself. I had changed into a casual outfit instead of my usual work clothes; I figured the weather was much too nice for my boring everyday clothes.

I skipped into the village in high spirits and up the footpath toward the clinic. But when I went to open the door, I found it was locked. _Oh, of course,_ I thought, rolling my eyes, _the clinic's closed on Friday. _Spinning around, I shielded my eyes from the sun and surveyed the village.

Rahi and Ying were playing in the grass in front of the Tea House. Nearby, Nori was carefully tending to her crops. I waved to Reina as she walked past the clinic. "Hey Reina!"

The quiet, dark-haired girl stopped and looked in my direction. "Oh, Lillian. Hi. How are you?"

"I'm great at the moment," I said, walking to where she stood, "Have you seen Hiro or Ayame around anywhere?"

"Yeah," she smiled, "Actually I just passed Hiro. He seemed to be headed toward the river."

I grinned. "Thank you so much. Have a good day!"

The river wasn't far from the clinic and soon I had spotted Hiro, deep in thought and gazing at the river.

"Hey kiddo," I said mockingly, mimicking Ayame.

"Ayame, please don't call me that," he began, turning to me, "You know how I- Oh! Lillian, I didn't know it was you." He crossed his arms and took on a rather child-like appearance – not that it was unusual; he always looked rather young. "You know, you really shouldn't address me by that nickname either. I happen to be quite a few years older than you."

I laughed melodiously. "Well, good day then, kind sir," I said, smiling cheekily, "Better?"

Hiro smiled. "I can never stay mad at you for long. You have a strange charm about you. So, how have you been? It's certainly been a long while since we last spoke."

I wandered closer. "Actually, I've been having a little trouble with my health. I was hoping I could talk to you a little more privately, if that's not too much to ask."

Hiro took a better look at me, rubbing his chin and squinting his eyes. "My, you have gotten thin, haven't you? How about I treat you to some tea at Yun's? We can take the table on the deck out the back."

The view from the deck was breath taking. The clear, shimmery river ran directly beneath it, and the cherry trees opposite the river were full of singing birds. When we'd ordered our tea, I explained the entire situation to Hiro. He was worried, to say the least.

"That's a harrowing thought, Lillian," he said, frowning, "There could have been awful results if you had kept depriving yourself of the proper nutrients."

I sipped my tea. "So what do I do now? I haven't gained any weight back."

Hiro tapped his chin with his index finger. "It will no doubt take a while for you to regain all your lost weight. What you really need are vitamins. When we're done here, come with me to the clinic and I'll see if I can find any vitamin pills."

I relaxed my shoulders and let out a long sigh. A bird landed on the deck beside me, and I threw it a couple crumbs of bread. It pecked at the crumbs, and then flew away, chirping happily. I smiled, watching it flutter away. "So how's life at the moment? You must be lonely with the entire clinic to yourself," I commented, refilling my cup of tea.

Hiro hung his head a little. "You are right. I do get a little lonesome now and then, but Ayame and Mako pop round for dinner every once in a while, so it isn't so bad."

"You cook for them?" I asked, but I already knew the answer.

"I do indeed," Hiro answered, grinning, "I am quite proud of my culinary prowess, and I do enjoy cooking immensely."

I laughed softly. "You'll have to give me a few tips. I've been experimenting with food lately to build up my strength, but nearly all my ideas fail," I said, pouting slightly.

"In that case, visit me after work sometime and we can have a cooking 'date'," he said jokingly, "I'm sure Kana wouldn't mind. Speak of the devil…"

It was well into lunch time, so I wasn't surprised to see Kana walk into the Tea House. When he heard Hiro he looked in our direction and a smile played about his lips. "Well, well, what do we have here? My girlfriend on a date with my best buddy?" he joked, "Isn't that just great?"

I giggled. "And here's the best part – he's just asked me on another date! Net time we'll be cooking together."

Kana clapped his hand over his mouth in mock horror. "How could you both betray me like this!? You two should be hanged."

"You don't mind, do you?" Hiro asked a little more seriously, "I'm planning on showing Lillian a few cooking techniques."

"Nah, it's cool," Kana replied, taking a seat on the deck beside me, "Actually, Lily, I was hoping I'd bump into you. I have something I'd like to tell you."

Hiro jumped up. "Would you prefer to be alone?"

Kana chuckled. "Nah, it's nothing like that. Don't bother getting up."

I searched his face. "So what is it?" I asked curiously.

"Weeell," he began, "I've been continuing Yuripi's treatment, and it looks like she'll be ready to ride about now!"

I almost choked on my own saliva. "What? Seriously!?Right now?" I cried, clutching at his arm.

He grinned and nodded, his eyes bright.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" I squealed, throwing my arms around his neck and squeezing him half to death. Then, loosening my grip from his neck, I got up to leave.

"Where are you going?" Kana asked, puzzled.

I looked at him blankly. "To see Yuripi, what do you think?"

"Woah there," Hiro said, "You need to stop by the clinic to receive those vitamins first, remember?"

I stopped and looked at them, frowning impatiently. "Then hurry up and finish your tea, you tow, so we can be on our way!"

By the time the boys had finished up, I was nearly bouncing up and down with excitement. Hurriedly, I took their money from them and slammed it on the counter, thanking Yun for the tea and flying out the door. It was sizzling hot outside, and I was glad for my shoes that separated my feet from the blistering dirt path. I waved to Rahi and Ying as I skipped past them, and they giggled at me, the crazy lady who ran everywhere. I smiled to myself; they were good kids.

I arrived at the clinic way ahead of Kana and Hiro and, to my delight, saw that the front door was unlocked. I burst through the door, humming a pretty little tune to myself, and then skidded to a halt.

"Ayame? Don't you have a day off today?" I asked the shiny black bob behind the counter.

Ayame continued to shuffle through the shelf under the desk. "Hi, kiddo. Hold on, I'm just trying to find something…"

I walked into the room slowly and leaned over the counter, trying to peek at what Ayame was so busy looking for. Suddenly she shot up, almost smacking her head against mine. "Aha!" She cried, holding a little empty test tube and a cardboard package between her fingers, "Found it!"

I studied the package. "What's that for?"

Just then the door flew open and the boys walked in, deep in conversation. Ayame quickly hid the package inside her coat. "Oh, hello boys," Ayame cried cheerfully, "What are you two up to?"

Hiro disappeared behind some shelves. "I was just conversing with Lillian here, and it turns out she is in need of some vitamin pills. You wouldn't happen to know where they were, would you?"

Ayame reached past him into one of the shelves and pulled out a little brown bottle. She threw it carelessly across the room and I just managed to catch it.

"Woah," I cried, "Shouldn't you be more careful with medicine?"

"Oh, nonsense!" she said happily, "It's only vitamins. Anyway, I have to be going. Take care all of you!"

She blew us all kisses and slammed the door behind her. Kana, Hiro and I just stared at the door, our eyes and mouths open. The cheerful sound of muffled laughter could be heard as her light footsteps trailed off down the footpath. _She's acting much too happy, _I thought, _Even for Ayame._

When we had all recovered, Hiro sat down at the desk. "I have some paperwork to finish now. I'll see you two again soon, I'm sure."

"Yeah, um, bye. I'll pop over after work sometime this week, okay?"

"Oh, right," Hiro looked up and winked jokingly, "I'm certainly looking forward to it, Lillian."

I winked back. "Me too."

Kana stepped between us and held his arms up. "Alright, that's enough of that you two," he joked, grinning.

Hiro and I giggled as Kana chased me out the door.


	14. Mortified

**I apologize in advance for any typos haha, I'm really bad with those. I appreciate you guys reading my stuff, and I love reviews! xx**

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I had Kana firmly by the hand and was dragging him up the path to his house. As I hadn't left my farm for quite a while, I hadn't been able to watch Yuripi progress. So now I was absolutely dying to see her.

"Is the wound completely gone?" I asked breathlessly as I clomped along the dusty road.

Kana chuckled. "There's a scar there, but she's as beautiful as ever."

Finally we reached his house and I hurriedly climbed over the fence, nearly falling over myself as I did so. I covered the corral in three seconds flat and flew through the doorway to the stables. Tired and out of breath, I fell to my knees and looked around the stable to see if I could spot my girl. Hayate wandered over and nuzzled my face. I giggled as her whiskers tickled my ears. "Not now, baby," I said in-between breaths, stroking her nose, "I'm looking for someone."

I got back up on my feet just as Kana entered the stable. "She sure does like you," he commented, placing a thoughtful finger on his lip, "But she's been acting pretty distant toward me lately…"

"Maybe she's jealous of me," I teased, rubbing Hayate's neck.

That's when I spotted a sturdy horse with a pure white coat and a dusty grey mane. "Yuripi!" I called, and her ears pricked up at the sound of her name. I walked toward her, my arms outstretched. She did indeed have a large scar on her hip, but she was still the prettiest horse I'd ever seen. I wrapped my arms around her strong neck and whispered quietly into her ears. The silence that enfolded us in its embrace was beautiful. My eyes closed and I enjoyed the stillness while I could.

"You know… I reckon you're right," said Kana, who had been watching from where he stood with Hayate.

I turned around, still hanging from Yuripi's neck. "Right about what?"

"Life's been so hectic lately," he sighed, "Hayate probably is a little jealous. I've been spending more time away from home than at it. I've had no time for her."

I smiled. "I'm sorry for hogging him, Hayate."

"Why don't we go for a ride up the mountain? All four of us. Yuripi needs to burn some energy too, after being cooped up at mine all the time," Kana suggested.

I kissed Yuripi's nose. "How does that sound, baby?" She whinnied in response.

Yuripi was a little uneasy as I gently slipped her saddle on. I cooed and spoke to her quietly to let her know she was okay. When she had calmed down, I mounted her and took her for a warm up walk around the stable. She seemed to be fine after a while, so I led her outside into the warm afternoon air. I was so eager to take Yuripi for a run.

"Wait, Lily," Kana said, emerging from the stable with Hayate behind him, "Shouldn't we… um… take dinner with us? We might be gone a while."

I stared at him. "You mean like a picnic…?"

He nodded, going a little red.

"Sure, that sounds like fun!"

We quickly prepared rice balls in Kana's kitchen and placed them in my bad, along with leftovers of the spicy curry Kana had made himself the evening before. I wasn't really a fan of spicy foods myself, but spicy curry was Kana's all-time favourite and his recipe was beginning to grow on me.

We packed a few mats to sit on and bug repellent and before long we were racing each other up the winding mountain path. Hayate and Yuripi seemed to be having the time of their lives, and we loosened the reigns, giving them full control of where they went. The forest was alive with an orchestra of birds and insects, each singing their own lovely song. In that moment, riding Yuripi beside Hayate and Kana, I felt like at any second I could lift off the ground and soar into the heavens. Like all my problems and worries could be thrown away. And then I realized that I could never do that. All this time I had been trying to forget my worries – trying to forget Caleb – and that had been what was tearing me down. I had a special bond with my older brother, so letting him go would mean destroying a big part of myself. Deep down I didn't want to forget the memory of him, even if his illness did end up taking him away for good. I loved Caleb.

When we had reached the top of the mountain, Yuripi had slowed down tremendously and was panting hard. She had gotten quite unfit due to the lack of exercise, so we decided to stop there. The sky had turned a lovely orange colour as the afternoon sun gradually sank behind the hills in the distance. We tied our horses to the fence and Mr Ponytail led me to a pretty little clearing, with a still, beautiful pool of clear blue water and a large, majestic tree looming over it. I stared in awe as Kana laid out a mat for us on the spongy grass.

"I've never seen this place before," I breathed, taking in the beauty of my surroundings.

Kana smiled and sat down. "This is my favourite place in the world. I'm totally stoked that I'm the one to show it to you."

I reached into the pond and held some of the water in my hand, letting the crystal-like buds of liquid slip through my fingers. The water was warm and the droplets left on my hand glistened in the late afternoon sun. "It's so clean," I whispered to no one in particular.

A single, perfectly shaped green leaf floated down from the tree and landed peacefully on the calm surface of the pool, sending a slight ripple as it floated toward me like a little row boat on a quiet lake. I leant over the pond and gently nudged the leaf with the very tip of my finger, sending it smoothly into the middle of the pool. _Caleb would love to see this,_ I thought dreamily.

"Are you hungry?" Kana asked, patting the ground beside him.

Already on my hands and knees, I crawled on to the mat and lay back, letting the breeze tickle my face. "Nah," I said, closing my eyes, "This place is too relaxing. I just feel like lying here forever, doing nothing."

Kana picked a long, smooth blade of grass and lay back too, twirling the grass between two fingers. "Rumour has it this pond belongs to the Harvest Goddess. Apparently if you chuck in an offering, she'll appear above the water."

I hummed sleepily. "That's pretty cool."

He popped the blade of grass between his lips and put his arms behind his head. "You wanna try it?" he asked casually.

I smiled, still closing my eyes. "I've already met her."  
I heard Kana shuffle beside me as he raised his head. "You mean she's real?"

Opening my eyes, I turned on my side to face him. "Yeah. She's nothing special. I mean, she's really beautiful, but she's got an ordinary personality."

"So she's nice then? Humble and stuff?"

I snorted. "That's not really what I meant. By nothing special, I meant… well, she's not very goddess-like. She's kinda immature-"

Before I could finish my sentence, a bright light flashed around us and then there she was, the devil herself. I sighed.

"Immature, huh?" she glared at me, hands on hips.

"You didn't let me finish…"

"Well I'll have you know that I've been really busy lately with a lot of mature affairs," she hissed.

"As have I, trying to make friends in both Konohana AND Bluebell, because you forced your responsibilities on me," I shot back, a little irritated.

The Harvest Goddess clapped her hands together and smiled sweetly. "Oh yes, I remember! How is that going, by the way?"

My train of thought came to an abrupt halt, giving my mind whip-lash; she sure did change her moods quickly. I was having trouble keeping up, so I couldn't think of a reply.

Kana, who had been watching with wide eyes, sat up suddenly. "So is this the real reason you've been going to Bluebell?" he asked me, then without waiting for an answer, he pointed an accusing finger at the Harvest Goddess, "Did it never occur to you that Lily might've had other things to worry about? And she had that pest Mikhail bothering her all the time too. Why didn't you get rid of him for her?"

The Harvest Goddess' expression softened and she took a deep breath. "Maybe I need to explain a few things to you both, but let me start by saying I'm really sorry for the hard time you've been going through. I see absolutely everything, so I know exactly what you – and Mikhail – have been dealing with-"

"Mikhail?" Kana cut in.

"Yes, Mikhail," she repeated, nodding her pretty head, "Lily isn't the only one having a tough time. Mikhail has recently lost a loved one too, and you look quite similar to that girl. You remind _me_ of her too; she's a close friend of mine. Anyway, Mikhail's just a little confused at the moment, but he needs to be in Bluebell and I'm sure he'll explain the whole story to you in his own time."

Kana still wasn't having a bar of it. "Well that's all well and good, but that doesn't explain why you picked Lily to do all your dirty work."

"I'm just getting to that," she said, smiling calmly, "The reason I picked Lily is simple. She's the strongest person in Konohana and Bluebell combined. She's really the only girl who could ever bring the towns back together again."

I blinked. _What?_

"That's all I'm going to tell you. But don't worry; it'll mostly be upward from here. You have a lot of exciting things ahead of you, Lily," she said, grinning at me, and then turned to wink saucily at Kana.

Kana turned bright red. _What on earth is going on here?_

"I'm going to leave you little love birds to it, now. Toodles!"

"Wait- what?" I cried, but she had already disappeared. I stared at the air where she had just been. "Well then."

"She went and hinted at it for you, so I guess I can't back out now," Kana began, still blushing a deep crimson colour.

I turned to see Kana rummaging through his pocket. We were still sitting side by side on the mat. A gentle breeze blew my hair over my face, so I tucked it behind my ear.

"Ah, I've got it," he said, but whatever It was, he didn't take it out.

A gasp caught in my throat. _Oh my goodness._

"So um… I've been thinking a lot lately. I know we've only really known each other for a little while, but I feel like… I feel like I've known you forever." He roughly pushed his hair away from his face. "_Crap_, I sound so stupid."

I giggled, and it made him smile. His features relaxed a little.

"Anyway…" he laughed nervously, "For the past few years I've been chilling at my shop, never really caring about anything but horses. But… well, when you moved here, I started questioning everything I'd ever known. I kinda realized that there was more to life than work and play. Suddenly my horses and my previous carefree life on my own just… well it just all seems so lame now compared to what I _could _have… I guess what I'm trying to tell you is that… you're my closest friend and I want to have you around forever."

My heart fluttered and I felt like I was going to pass out. _Why do these things have to be so embarrassing? _I thought, _I've had enough of being so mortified all the time. And for once, I'm going to do something about it._

Kana opened his mouth to continue speaking, but I interrupted. "Kana, I need to tell you something."

His face fell a little and he looked worried.

"I really did NOT want to move away from my parents' house and my plan has always been to return to them as soon as I'm done here. I'm only here for Caleb's sake. I didn't ask for new friends, for Mikhail's problems, or for a boyfriend in my life…" I took a deep breath and shut my eyes tightly. "But I changed my mind as soon as I met you and I love you so much, Kana, so will you marry me?" I blurted the last part out as quickly as I could and braced myself.

Silence. It was twilight now, and the only noises I could here were the rustle of the wind in the trees and the quiet chirping of a nearby cricket. _What have I done?_ I thought, _Good job, Lillian, you've just ruined possibly the most important moment of your life._

I was so ashamed of myself that my eyes began to sting, and soon there were big salty tears clouding my vision. And then everything happened at full speed. Kana lunged at me, nearly knocking me over, wrapped his arms tightly around me and then laughed louder and more happily than I'd ever heard him laugh. My eyes shot wide open and one of my embarrassed tears leaked out, as I sat there in shock.

He grinned and wiped the tear away. "Don't cry," he said cheerfully, "Of course I'll marry you! But wasn't that supposed to be _your_ line?" Kana chuckled and pulled a dainty blue feather from his pocket and laid it gently in my hand. "There's your engagement feather. It's all official now!"

I looked up at him in surprise through my mortified tears. "You mean you still want to marry me, even after I wrecked your proposal?"

Kana threw his head back in laughter again, still holding me in his arms. "Of course. You had me scared for a moment. I thought you were going to break up with me. But y'know what?" He pulled me closer. "If my future wife had reacted any differently, she wouldn't have been the right girl. She wouldn't have been you."

I blushed and a smile slowly crept across my face. "We're going to make a crazy family," I said quietly.

"Heh, the crazier, the better," he said, smiling widely, "But first we have to actually get married. We're only halfway there. We should do it soon."

"I've always wanted an autumn wedding," I suggested, "If we set the date for the beginning of autumn, we'll only have to wait a couple weeks. That should give everyone enough time to prepare."

"That sounds perfect. I can't wait!"

I giggled as he wrapped the tips of my hair around his fingers. "Everyone's going to be so surprised!"

Kana just smiled and tilted his head back to look at the sky.

We stayed on the mountain top well past midnight, lying side by side on the mat, talking about all our plans, sometimes even just staring up at the stars in silence. It was a beautiful night to end the best day of my life.


	15. Spilled

The village seemed nearly as ecstatic about the upcoming wedding as I was, and preparations began almost immediately. Nori agreed to put together a dress for my special day, Yun promised to cook up a big meal for afterward, and Ying and Rahi begged to be my flower-girl and ring bearer. Of course, I accepted. I was grateful for all of their help, but it seemed a bit boring to have everything exactly the same as Ayame's wedding, so I hatched myself a plan and took a little trip to Bluebell. This time I was unafraid of going alone, and it turned out absolutely fine. While I was there I invited the entire village to the wedding – without telling them that all of Konohana would be there. I asked Howard and Laney to prepare a huge feast, Eileen to set up the area, and I asked Cam to take care of the flowers. They were all more than happy to offer their services. On my way home I even invited the Oracle to attend my wedding, but she shook her head shyly and muttered something about large crows. When I had all the details taken care of I settled back in to my regular routine; I wasn't going to forget about the farm no matter how hectic things got. Neither was I going to forget about my "date" with Hiro.

I stumbled clumsily through the door to the clinic, my arms full of ingredients. I had told Hiro I would bring as many of the ingredients as I could, and I was determined not to disappoint.

Hiro looked up from his last minute paperwork. "Goodness me, Lillian, let me help you with that," he called, hurrying over to relieve me of some of my packages.

I smiled gratefully. "Thank you," I replied over my heap of ingredients, laughing sheepishly.

He placed my bags on the counter and shook his finger like a grumpy school teacher. "You should have asked Kana to help you bring these over! You haven't fully regained all your strength yet and you're aware of that."

I scratched the back of my head and pulled the peace sign with my skinny fingers. "But you still love me, right?" I joked.

Hiro covered his face with his hands, but I saw him smiling.

Ayame swung around in her office chair. "Of course we love you, kiddo. You're our favourite patient! Not to mention you're usually our _only_ patient…"

Hiro chuckled. "Yes, Konohana was rather free of injuries until you turned up. You seem to be quite accident-prone, Lillian."

"Ha-ha, you have to admit you _are _a little clumsy, Lily," Ayame giggled, covering her mouth with her neatly manicured hand.

"Come on, Hiro, are we going to cook, or are you two just going to pick on me all evening?" I asked, folding my arms across my chest and pouting like a little girl.

"Alright, alright," Hiro chuckled, "Calm down or you may just pass out."

I huffed and started up the stairs with half of the ingredients, leaving Ayame and Hiro in peals of laughter.

"Don't be in too much of a hurry!" Ayame called between giggles, "You might trip and fall down the stairs!"

"I can't heeear you! La-la-la!" I called back.

When Hiro had settled down he joined me upstairs and we set out all the ingredients on his dining table.

"Alright, let us see what we have," he said, sorting through the stuff I had brought, "Flour, eggs, milk… Perfect! I have butter in the refrigerator. That should be all we require in order to bake a cake."

"Sweet," I said, leaning on a chair, "What do we put it in?"

Hiro slipped his doctor's coat off and underneath he worse a long-sleeved blue/grey shirt. I stared at him out of the corner of my eye; I'd never seen him wearing casual clothes before. For some reason he even wore his doctor's coat on his day off, so he looked a little funny to me in regular attire.

"We'll need two bowls, preferably one large and one small," he said, bending down and rummaging through a cupboard, "There should be a wooden spoon in that drawer over there."

When he had everything we needed, Hiro took an apron from a hook and began tying it around his waist. I couldn't resist. "Now all you need is a skirt, a headdress, and a cute catch-phrase," I snorted.

He put his hands on his hips and looked down at himself. "It isn't that feminine, is it?" he began, "But do not worry your little head about it, Lillian, I have an even better one for you." He reached into another cupboard and pulled out a ridiculously frilly white apron, even worse than the one he was wearing. I nearly choked on my own breath.

"You expect me to wear _that?_" I cried, "I'd look awful! There is no way…"

But much to my disgust, I was soon standing in his kitchen with the horrendous thing on. I slumped my shoulders and glared at Hiro. "Why do you even have this…?" I moaned, crossing my arms moodily.

Hiro was trying not to crack up, and ignored my question. "I simply must get a picture of this! Kana and the rest of the village really should see this."

I started cutting up the butter to melt on the stove. "If I were you, I wouldn't be suggesting things like that to the angry girl wielding the knife," I hissed.

"Oh, lighten up, Lillian," he chuckled, "At least allow me to show one person…"

"Wait, no-"

"Ayameee!" he called, smiling cheekily at me.

I picked up the nearest object, which happened to be a spatula, and began whacking him all over. Hiro laughed harder and put his arms up to block my smacks.

"Alright, alright," he chuckled, "I don't think she's downstairs anymore. She would have called back if she was here."

I stopped hitting him and began vigorously stirring the butter, which had begun to melt. "You're lucky she isn't here," I threatened, but he completely ignored my moody reply and kept laughing.

"What's with you and Ayame being in such good spirits today anyway?" I asked suspiciously, "Have you two gotten into the drink?"

Hiro laughed my last question off. "Oh no, it isn't anything like that. To be completely truthful with you, these past few weeks Ayame has been oddly depressed. But whenever I inquire about it, she simply tells me not to worry."

I poured the butter into a big metal bowl full of flour. "Poor Ayame… I wonder what the matter is."

Hiro cracked an egg on the side of the table and poured the contents of it into a cup. "I've been trying my very best to figure out what the issue is," he said, swishing the egg around with a spoon and pulling out a bit of shell, "But everything seems to be going quite well for her at the moment."

"Yes," I agreed, stirring the mixture as Hiro poured the egg in, "She and Mako seem to be getting along quite well. And she likes Reina, so that can't be the problem."

Hiro measured some milk. "I don't suppose Ying could be on her mind," he wondered aloud.

I stopped stirring. "Ying? What's wrong with Ying?"

He knocked over the cup he was using, and scrambled to clean up the milk which had spilled onto the table. "Nothing- nothing at all. Forget I said that," he said quickly.

I raised an eyebrow. _What's his deal?_

"So how's it going with the wedding plans?" he winked as he mopped the table with a sponge, "You and Kana must be very excited."

I could feel my cheeks turning pink, and my chest felt all fluttery and silly. "We are very excited," I said quietly, "All our plans are coming along nicely."

"I can help with the cooking, if you'd like," he offered, "Yun's getting quite old, and preparing food for an entire village may be a little hard on her."

I smiled to myself, and thought of all the cooking Howard and Laney were going to do for the wedding. "Oh I wouldn't worry about her, Hiro. I haven't given her all the work."

"Then who…?"

I smiled slyly. "That's for me to worry about."

The cake came out perfectly, despite the small spillage of milk and the awful aprons. Hiro insisted I took it home and shared it with Kana, along with the recipe. After removing the hideous apron and throwing it in Hiro's face, much to his amusement, I made my way down the stairs.

The clinic seemed sad and empty when no one else was there, so I walked quickly to the door. But before I had opened it, the floorboards creaked and I spun around in fright, just in time to see Ayame disappearing into the next room.

"Oh, Ayame you scared me!" I giggled, "I thought you'd gone home for the day."

There was no reply.

"Ayame?" I called quietly, tiptoeing into the next room after her.

She was sitting hunched over on the edge of a hospital bed, looking intently at a piece of paper.

"Ayame…? Are you okay?"

Her head whipped around and she quickly hid the paper inside her coat. "Oh, yes dear, I'm absolutely fine," she said, smiling pathetically.

I stepped closer. "You've been crying," I said gently, more of a question than a statement, noticing two glossy lines that ran down her face.

Ayame quickly rubbed at her eyes, smudging her makeup even worse. "Crying? No, of course not," she laughed nervously.

I sat down beside her on the bed and put an arm around her. "You don't have to hide it from me," I said softly.

She stared at me, and two fat tears rolled down her cheeks. Her petite hands trembled and she tensed up. "I can't," she whispered.

I rubbed her back. "You can't what?"

Ayame squeezed her hands together and looked at the floor. "I can't do it. I can't have a family."

I stared blankly at her, trying to figure out what she meant.

"I've been trying and trying, but I just can't get pregnant," she said quietly, "Well, that's not true. I was pregnant just the other day." An awkward laugh escaped her lips, and more tears gushed from her eyes.

I gasped. "You… You had a miscarriage?"

Ayame nodded and her breathing was choked and uneven. _So that's why she's been down lately?_

"I'm so sorry, Ayame," I whispered, hugging her tightly.

She leaned her head on my shoulder and sobbed quietly, but bitterly. "Mako and I so badly want children, but I don't think we'll be able to have any."

"You don't know that. You still have plenty of life ahead of you, and I'm sure if you keep trying it'll eventually happen," I said, trying to sound like I knew what I was talking about.

I could clearly see that Ayame was in a lot of pain, and I really wanted to help her, but seeing such a usually carefree and cheerful person in so much agony scared me. But I couldn't let that get to me; Ayame was a close friend and I had to be there for her.

"I suppose you're right, kiddo," she sniffed, "It just really frustrates me that children can be so hard to have, but then so easy to lose. And yet so many people take them for granted."

I crossed my legs. "Oh yeah? What do you mean?"

"Well, take Ying for example," she said as a fresh lot of tears started, "I'm finding it so damn hard to conceive, but her parents had her without a hitch and then dumped her on Yun like yesterday's trash." Ayame began to rush her words, obviously very upset. "Those fools will probably never see their own daughter again. The gorgeous little girl's terminal illness is gonna make sure of that."

We both froze and looked at each other, our eyes widening simultaneously. Ayame's already pale face went white as a sheet and she clapped her hand over her mouth.

"Wh-what?" I finally managed to ask, as the blood left my face and my heart jumped into my throat.

"I… I didn't m-mean to say that," she stuttered, "It just… it kinda slipped out. You weren't supposed to know. Everyone had agreed that you had enough on your plate already."

"So… let me get this straight," I began shakily, "Ying, the Ying from the Tea House? The short little girl with the pigtail and the panda? She's going to… die?"

Ayame began to cry again. "Not immediately… She had a very rare but fatal illness. Eventually she'll be in a wheelchair, then she'll be bedridden, and then-"

"And then she'll fall into a coma shortly before passing away in her sleep," I interrupted.

Ayame looked at me. "How did you know?"

"It sounds exactly like the illness my brother has," I said flatly, "But he's already in a coma."

"Oh my goodness, Lily, I'm so sorry!" she cried, hugging me.

"Don't worry about me," I said, "I've already come to terms with it. Now Ying on the other hand – she isn't even in a wheelchair yet. Can't anything be done to stop, or even delay the process?"

Ayame sighed. "Ying's been to all kinds of doctors and specialists, but they all say that nothing can be done for her," she replied, her tone defeated.

"Nothing at all?" I huffed, "Have they even tried anything?"

"I love Ying too, Lily," she said sadly, "She comes to our house often to play and stay the night, so she's like family to Mako, Reina and I. But there's nothing we can do."

I stood up abruptly. "Well I think you're all giving up much too quickly," I said angrily, "I'm going to ask around; surely someone will be able to help."

"Try if you want," she said unenthusiastically, "Everybody in Konohana but Ying knows about it."

I threw my hands in the air. "So you haven't even told her that she's going to die? How unbelievably cruel of the village."

Hot, angry tears prickled my eyes and dripped off my chin as I stormed loudly from the room, leaving Ayame's sobs behind me.


	16. Sunflower

The news of Ying's illness hit me hard and without warning, but this time I was stronger, and instead of crumbling, I was determined to do whatever I could to help her. Sadly, I had no idea about medicine, but I had a few people in mind you might've.

I ran, puffing, through the village, furious at myself for not keeping track of time. I had needed to be in the grove ten minute ago, but the heat wave had slowed down my farm work and I was late. As I passed the Tea House, I saw a slim female figure sitting patiently on one of the benches in the grove. She was busy twirling a wild flower between her fingers. I sighed in relief; at least she hadn't given up and left.

"Reina! Hi, sorry I'm late," I gasped, slowing to a halt and sitting on the grass to catch my breath.

Reina placed the flower gently on the bench beside her and kicked her legs back and forth. "It's okay. Gosh, you're a mess. I wish I had some water to offer you."

"Pah, don't worry; I don't need water," I said, sitting up and waving away her concern, "Thanks though."

A bumblebee hovered over a patch of daisies, distracting us with its soothing humming. I picked one of the little white flowers and held it out to the bee, which landed on it and flexed its pretty wings.

"So what have you called me here for? Reina asked, shading her eyes from the sun.

I looked up. "Huh? Oh right, I almost forgot. I wanted to ask you a question…" I picked a dandelion and plucked one of its seeds carefully.

"Yeah?"

"A question about plants…" I blew softly on the dandelion, sending a few seeds soaring through the warm air.

"Well go on. What's your question?"

I took a deep breath. "Are there any plants on the mountain with medicinal qualities?"

Reina looked at me curiously, her beautiful blue-green eyes searching my face. She raised an eyebrow. "Of course there are. Many plants can be used to treat injuries and illnesses. Why…?" she asked cautiously.

I ignored her question. "Are there any that would… oh, I dunno, strengthen someone… give them energy… possibly save them from a rare life-threatening illness…?"

Reina rolled her eyes. "I knew it. I'm sorry, Lillian, but there aren't any plants known to man that could cure a deadly illness all on their own," she said sadly, "We've tried all we can to help Ying, but nothing will work."

I sighed. "I figured as much. But there is still a little bit of hope, right? What if we discover a new plant?"

She stood up to leave. "There's little chance of that. I've covered every inch of this mountain. If there were an unknown species of plant here, _I_ would've found it." She clenched her fists into tight balls. "_I _would've been able to save her."

I quickly stepped in front of her and put a hand on her shoulder. "But there must be _something _we can do!"

"Yeah well, if you think of some way I can help, tell me," she said stiffly, walking around me, "I feel guilty enough as it is. A plant expert like me should be able to find a cure, right? Gah, I can't even help a friend. How useless!"

I stared at her in surprise. "I… I'm sorry, Reina. I didn't mean to imply you were useless. I should've thought about this before I asked you…"

Reina stopped walking, and turned her head slowly. "No," she sighed, her bangs falling over her eyes, "I'm the one who should be sorry. I overreacted. Just remember this; everyone in this village is hurting over Ying's condition, and I can pretty much guarantee that everyone feels guilty too. It's a really tender subject, so if you want to talk about it, do it gently."

I nodded, ashamed that I'd just poured salt in Reina's emotional wound. But I understood, and vowed to not bring the subject up again with anyone in Konohana. The pain was too raw, and I didn't want to be the cause of any outbursts.

As I stood there, cicadas singing around me, a thought struck me and I grinned to myself. _Sure, _I thought, _it may be taboo around here… but what about in Bluebell?_

Rushing home, I packed my bag the same as I had many times and gave my animals an extra lot of feed to last them through the night. Then, after mounting Yuripi and stopping by Kana's to give him a quick peck on the cheek, I rode off up the mountain.

The journey to Bluebell was quick and stress-free; I was in a good frame of mind, and ready for anything. By the time I reached Bluebell, it was evening and a pleasant hush had fallen over the village. Whistling, I put Yuripi away in the Town Hall stable, but instead of checking into a room, I headed straight for the Café. It had begun to rain, and a gust of wind blew leaves into my hair as I crossed the town square.

"Welcome to Howard's Café," Laney chirped as I slipped into the warm room. When she saw me, her face fell and she hurried toward me. "Get away from the window," she whispered loudly, "Quick, come to my room."

A shiver ran up my spine at the worried tone in her voice. Grabbing my hand, she jerked me behind the counter and hurried up the stairs. Howard too left his station and accompanied us into Laney's room.

"What on earth's the matter?" I cried when Laney had let go of me.

Instead of replying, she walked over to her window and pulled the curtains apart a tiny bit. She gestured to me to join her at the window. Hesitantly, I crossed the room and peered through the raindrop-streaked window pane.

"What do you see?" Laney asked, holding back the curtain for me.

Howard and Laney's odd behaviour made me feel a little uneasy, but I didn't see anything unusual outside. It was quite dark, and very still. The wind rattled the window, and a couple trees swayed gently. A stray cat scampered across the town square, in the light that was shining from the Town Hall's hotel room window. _That's funny, _I though, _since when does Bluebell have visitors staying in those rooms? Apart from me and… _As if fate was reading my mind, a tall figure appeared in the Town Hall window – a lanky figure with a brown coat and a violin.

I yanked myself roughly away from the window and stumbled backwards, nearly toppling over. "What's Mikhail doing back here!? Summer isn't over!" I cried, frustrated.

Laney sighed. "He got back last night. Said he'd heard that fall had come early for Bluebell, which is somewhat true; the days have grown colder and the leaves have begun to fade on our side of the mountain."

"Laney, dear, you're forgetting the juiciest part," scolded Howard, then he turned to me, his eyes wide with excitement, "Mikhail also mentioned that he had done a lot of thinking while he was away. And that he had a few things to sort out here with a certain someone. I wonder what he could've meant by that."

I slumped into a nearby chair and stared off into space. "This is exactly what I need," I muttered sarcastically, "How am I going to avoid Mikhail when I have to sleep in the room next to his?"

Laney grabbed my hand. "We can have that sleepover I promised you!" she cried enthusiastically, her gorgeous green eyes glowing.

I smiled softly and ducked my head. "Are you sure? I mean, the Town Hall isn't too bad, and I've already left my horse in their stable…"

"Of course you can stay," Howard reassured me, placing a large, heavy hand on my shoulder, "And I can get Cam to retrieve your horse tomorrow if you feel uncomfortable going yourself."

I sighed in relief. "Thank you so much," I breathed, and then remembered why I had come in the first place, "Speaking of Cam, do you know where he is? I need to talk with him."

"He should be downstairs in his store room, as usual," Laney rolled her eyes, "You know him. Always locking himself in there, working himself to the bone. Come on, I'll show you."

Cam was indeed in the store room, hidden amongst his many colourful flowers. The room smelled heavenly, making me forget the dreary weather outside and carrying my mind away to the beautiful summers day it had been only a couple of hours ago. My mood immediately lifted.

Laney backed out of the room. "I'll just leave you two to talk," she whispered, closing the door behind her.

I twiddled my hair awkwardly as Cam cut a flower to size. He measured its stem with precision and held it carefully up to the light, examining it thoroughly. I felt bad disturbing him from the work he was so immersed in. "Uh, hey Cam," I finally managed.

Cam looked up from what he was doing and turned around in his chair. An unusual grin was plastered on his face. _Oh great, _I thought, _he hasn't forgotten the bear incident, has he?_

"Hello Lillian," he said slyly, smiling like an idiot, "Had any bear encounters recently?"

I crossed my arms and tried to hide my smile. "Actually, I have. A bear attacked me just the other day. I was in hospital for a while."

He chuckled softly. "Wow."

I didn't bat an eyelid.

Cam stopped laughing and stared at me. "Oh you're not kidding? I – uh – are… you okay?" he stuttered.

"Yeah," I giggled, "Just a little concussion is all."

He rubbed the back of his neck. "Well… uh, I'm sorry I wasn't there to help you again…"

"It's fine," I assured him, "I had someone else come to my rescue this time."

"Your fiancé?" he guessed.

I shook my head. "No, not my fiancé. It was an older man from Konohana. Mako; he's like an uncle to me."

Cam looked puzzled. "You talk about the Konohana villagers like they're nice people."

I laughed. "Well of course they're nice people! They're just as nice as the people in Bluebell. You might not get along as villages, but as people… I'm sure you'd find a lot of new friends in Konohana." I sighed and looked at the ground, a strange lump forming suddenly in my chest. "Before I forget, I need to ask you something…"

Cam looked at me expectantly.

"You know stuff about a lot of plants, yeah?"

He nodded slowly.

"And you travel a lot… so you know of plants that don't grow here."

Again, he nodded. "Yeah, why do you ask?"

I scratched my back awkwardly and then straightened out my clothes, stalling. I was afraid I wouldn't like the answer to my next question. "Do you know of any plants with medicinal qualities strong enough to cure an illness?"

Cam raised his eyebrows. "Well, yeah. But what kind of illness are you talking about?"

I smiled sheepishly. "A rare and fatal one…"

Cam shook his head quickly. "Oh no, there couldn't possibly be a single plant that could cure a fatal illness all by itself. Plants just aren't strong enough for that."

I hung my head. "That's what Reina said, too…" I muttered.

"Huh? Who's Reina?"

"Oh, just a plant specialist in Konohana," I said.

Cam's face lit up. "You mean I'm not the only one to work with plants in these parts? There are others?"

I giggled at his eager face. "Yeah! Both Reina and Mako study plants of all kinds. I think you'd like them."

He was silent for a moment. "I really do need to visit Konohana sometime, don't I? It doesn't sound half bad."

I sighed wistfully. "It's a great village."

"So… uh, why do you need a plant with medicinal qualities anyway?" he asked curiously, tipping his head to the side.

I felt a heavy feeling well up in my chest again. "There's a little girl in Konohana with a very rare and fatal illness and the entire village is hurting because of it. My older brother happens to have it, too…"

Cam stood up abruptly and pulled a bright yellow sunflower from a bouquet he had been working on, before walking over to me. "I'm really sorry, Lillian," he said gently.

A warm tear escaped from my eye as Cam placed the sunflower in my hand and squeezed my fingers around it. The stem was fuzzy against my finger tips and the petals tickled my face as I dipped my head to smell it.

"I've always thought of sunflowers as the strong ones. The ones who bring joy to everyone no matter what. They're bright and cheerful, and they're one of my favourite flowers," he said, "… You're a sunflower, Lillian."

I held the sunflower tighter in my hands and blinked back my tears. _You're a sunflower, Lillian._

That night, I lay in the makeshift bed on Laney's bedroom floor, pretending to listen to her endless chatter. Caleb's face ruled my thoughts, but I didn't try to push it out. I remembered what Cam had said to me. _You're a sunflower. _That had been something that Caleb would have told me. I smiled in the darkness; he had been such an amazing big brother. He had taught me about everything, played with me in our mother's fields, and sung me to sleep when I was scared at night. I loved my parents dearly, but it was always Caleb who I ran to when something was wrong. Now it was my turn to help him_._


End file.
